Look at this woman. Where is her pump? Do you look like her when you express milk for your baby? If so, please explain yourself.
One night this week, we sat in a cafe with two other moms and started comparing notes about where we pump at work and where we have pumped. Here in California, our employers are legally obligated to provide us with a room that locks and has a plug AND is not a bathroom. I am grateful. I realize many of you are not so lucky.
We got the idea that we should collect pictures of these environments so that we can honor the organizations that do it right and mock those that do not. Please photograph your pumping place and post it to our Flickr pool.
| www.flickr.com |
Do you have a pumping story that is tragic or funny? Share it here. And tomorrow, take your camera to work.
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I am SO glad I found this. I was actually routed here through the 101 Cookbook site.
My own blog turned one yesterday! (woohoo!)
I exclusively pumped for our second daughter for seven months as she was born with a cleft palate. As a stay at home mom, I primarily pumped on the couch sitting indian style, never pumped sitting the way the woman is up there in the pic, although once I ordered the halter that she’s wearing things became MUCH easier.
I pumped for 28 days in the NICU and at relative’s homes without hands-free accessories and lemme tell you… nothing is MORE boring than sitting there holding a couple of horns onto your boobs. Watching the clock is about the ONLY thing you can do . My Father in law once commented that it was “nice” that the pumping room at the NICU had a window. Ummm.. yeah, but the curtain blocked it once you were in the chair and pumping (THANK GOD!)
I quickly learned to not worry about people walking in on me – even had a nurse apologize for walking in on me as I pumped in the hospital the evening of my daughter’s cleft repair. I chided her that she was certainly not the first and would probably not be the last.
Our two year old daughter would run around with my pumping halter on singing that she was going to “make milk just like mommy!” LOL.
The strangest place by far that I pumped was when I was admitted to a mental ward for Postpartum Depression. They were nice enough to give me access to an exam room and allowed me to keep my supplies in there by the end of the weekend. It was very unreal to have the nurses waking me up to go pump.
I certainly plan on adding this to my blogroll and will definitely pass this on to other pumping mama’s I know! What a great great idea! Thank you!
Warmest,
Lauren
I’m the doting mom of a 6 month old and still nursing and pumping. I’m lucky to have a great employer that has 3 “Mother’s Rooms” in our building.
With such great facilities, you’d think there couldn’t possibly be a funny story….except when you factor in my mommy brain. I keep forgetting to lock the door! Luckily I know all the other mommies that use the room, but the poor janitor got quite an eyefull when he came to clean the room.
It’s great to have a door that locks…I guess you just have to use them!
My employer has a pumping room with 3 spots for nursing moms including computer access and a phone. It is a nice setup and allows us to multitask. I feel lucky to work for a company that provides this benefit as well as flexible hours that help with daycare drop off/pick up.
Strange places I’ve pumped are all due to the travel required for my job. I’ve pumped in extremely busy airport bathrooms with my pump over a hook on the wall using either my battery pack or a nearby plug if there is one available. I’ve pumped in a stall wtih my pump on a diaper changing table using my battery pack. My least favorite experiences were in cars – once in a fast food parking lot with my coworker sitting across the way on a park bench. Onother time was as we were driving down the highway with my poor coworker driving. I got really good at positining quickly and pulling my shirt down over the shields. My favorite pumping (and nursing for that matter) accessory is a good nursing tank. I use the ones from Target, they ensure I’m not showing skin once I pull my shirt down over my daughter while she nurses or over the shields as I pump. I pumped for 13 months and continue to nurse at night, right now my daugther is approaching 15 months.
The waiting/family room of the Paliative care wing will we were waiting for my mother who was taken off life support to expire. Sadly that hopsital refused to loan me a pump when I first arrived without one and it took us 4 days to drive back to CT to get mine. They also refused to supply me with another place, instead suggesting that I pump in my mopthers room if I wanted more privacy.
At work I pumped in the facail room (I am a hairdresser) after all of this and 3 months of eping, I quit qorking even part time and just stayed home to pump and BF.
With my first baby, I pumped every day in a bathroom stall at my office. It wasn’t so bad until I had a woman come in one day and ask, “Are you okay in there?” I just said “Yes” and didn’t bother to explain.
Since then we have had an office remodel and I have my own office. I was pregnant during the remodel so I convinced my boss to put a lock on my door. I can now pump in complete privacy in my office and not have to worry about someone walking in. I do have to go down the hall to the kitchen to clean my pump parts, but that’s not so bad.
I work in an office of guys and my first couple days back they hadn’t thought to set up a place for me (nor did I think to ask) so I tried the bathroom which had outlets – but they didn’t work. So I ended up cramming myself into the air conditioned server room, in February!
Fortunately one of my co-workers was kind enough to switch workspaces with me and I now have an office to myself.
So I’m in month 10 of exclusively pumping for my little mouse who never took to the breast, and I can see the one-year horizon in sight!! I’m definitely one of those ‘pump in the car’ folks, I had a 35 minute commute until 3 weeks ago, so it was the only thing that made sense. I used one of the hands-free zip-up thingies
http://www.easyexpressionproducts.com/picture2.html
plus a Bebe Au Lait Hooter Hider
http://shop.bebeaulait.com/shop/originals/parfait
for coverage, and have mostly avoided the weird looks from truckers. Can’t do much about the suck-squish noises, but at least you’re not worrying, which makes for more milk! Those with supply issues, check out this supplement –
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_fenugreek.html
I wouldn’t still have milk if it weren’t for this!!
Happy pumping.
In the back seat of a car during a particularly long road trip. It was easier (and faster) to give her a bottle in her carseat instead of pulling over to nurse so I just hoped no one was looking into our car windows as they passed us!
My employer found an empty room for me and added a chair and desk so I could pump. Later, someone moved into that room and they found another room for me. It was great. I stopped nursing/pumping just in time for someone else to move into that room. It wasn’t super cozy, but considering I work with mostly men, it was very much appreciated and very discreet.
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