Comments on: Join the Pumping Project

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:34:40 +0000

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.

By: Drea (Monkey Monkey Underpants)

Drea (Monkey Monkey Underpants) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:33:19 +0000

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!

By: Eliza

Eliza — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:17:27 +0000

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.

By: Chelsey

Chelsey — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:57:51 +0000

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.

By: Dee

Dee — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:00:51 +0000

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.

By: Bailey

Bailey — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:10:59 +0000

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.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:10:25 +0000

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.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:45:57 +0000

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!

By: The Pumping Project « Sharing the Journey

The Pumping Project « Sharing the Journey — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:42:33 +0000

[...] two have a terrific site, Rookie Moms. At their website, they’ve started a section called The Pumping Project in an effort to get women to open up about their experiences as well as hold Corporate America [...]

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sun, 04 May 2008 14:06:41 +0000

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

By: ErinS

ErinS — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:49:02 +0000

I was able to breast-feed for 7 months. I work as a nurse (i am a nurse and i did nurse, ha-ha) so my workplace is all female except for Dave, token male nurse (we call him that to his face, it’s okay). It went very well. I was hoping to breast feed for an entire year but dumb-dumb me decided to do CPR out-of-state. We were visiting my in-laws in Indy. While driving to see the rest of the family, we witnessed a street sweeper truck run a red light at 55 MPH, totally smashing the first car in line at the light. Unfortunately, the gentleman didn’t make it. Problem is, since there was blood exposure, I had stop breastfeeding. The real problem was the coroners office refused to release the fellows HIV and hepatitis status. *FYI- as part of good samaritan law, you do have the right to that information* After 6 weeks of antiviral drugs, anit-hepatitis shots in the rump, and lots of threats to the coroners office and with the help of my doctor, I finally got the information. But the new problems: very low output from 6 weeks of pumping and the development of 2 teeth. I am pregnant with number 2; so I’m going to try again for the year goal. This time, no mouth to mouth.

By: AliciaJ

AliciaJ — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:34:06 +0000

Hmm, as far as weird pumping places go I have quite a good one. When my son was three weeks old my husband and I went to a convention here in town. (Megacon! Anime, comics, gaming, and more…we’re geeks) I had pumped the day before but I didn’t know he would go through it all so quickly.

So in the middle of the con we go over to the side of this giant open space and find a plug. We ask the people using it if they could just inch over a little and let us use one of the outlets for the pump. They moved and I set up on a little chair with the pump in my husbands lap and a jacket over my chest.

Our two friends stood on either side of the stroller in front of us to somewhat sheild us from veiw. But it was this big wide open space and we were just right out there in the open. It was…interesting to say the least but thats about the extent of my weird pumping stories.

Breast-feeding though…I’ve walked and breastfed him recently which is just odd. ^^