Survey: Where do you pump at work?

huskymomma94 · July 2013

I tried to make a poll for this but it wouldn't work. If you pump at work, where do you pump? Your office, an empty office, conference room, closet? Do you have a locked door?

I pumped at work for a year with my son and there was an empty office available--it was perfect. The door locked, I had the only key, and I could leave my pump, etc until it was time to pack up for the day. Now I'm pregnant again and that empty office will no longer be available. The only place I can think of to pump would be our busy conference room, and there is no lock on the door. I obviously couldn't leave my pumping supplies in there between pumping sessions either.

I know I'm getting WAY ahead of myself here, but the hormones are kicking in and I'm panicking about this.

flkong · July 2013

I work in a hospital so there are tons of private secure places to pump. We also have a designated room for nursing moms that has hospital grade electric pumps available to us. My personal pump is very discrete. It's in a black bag with the pumping supplies inside so I wouldn't mind leaving it in a shared conference room. Nobody would know what's inside unless they opened the bag.

Once you shop for pumps, you'll see that the bags are pretty discrete. Enjoy your pregnancy and begin looking for where and how you'll pump but don't worry yourself too soon.

swimpurpleb · July 2013

I have not asked my boss yet but I think I will be pumping in our meeting room.. it has an accordion divider between it and the kitchen.. no place else for me to do it.

flkong · July 2013

mlynne37wiu:
I pump in my office with the door closed/locked and a chair in front of it. Can you pump in the conference room sitting in a chair against the door so it can't open?

That's a beautiful picture and beautiful baby....

eroplane · July 2013

I pump in the mother's room at the hospital I work at. It also has a hospital grade pump so I just bring my tubing and supplies.

huskymomma94 · July 2013

fklang:
I work in a hospital so there are tons of private secure places to pump. We also have a designated room for nursing moms that has hospital grade electric pumps available to us. My personal pump is very discrete. It's in a black bag with the pumping supplies inside so I wouldn't mind leaving it in a shared conference room. Nobody would know what's inside unless they opened the bag.
Once you shop for pumps, you'll see that the bags are pretty discrete. Enjoy your pregnancy and begin looking for where and how you'll pump but don't worry yourself too soon.

Thanks. I pumped for my son and have a medela pisa in the backpack. I suppose you are right that I could just leave it in the conference room in the corner. I guess I was just used to leaving everything set out in the private office.

MrsG071809 · July 2013

I pump in a Nursing Room, which is basically just a room attached to the bathroom that locks. It's not luxurious, but it works. I bring my bag of pumping supplies to and from that room and just keep my milk in a cooler at my desk, although there is a mini fridge available to us in the room.

I believe by law your employer has to provide a place for you to pump, don't they?

bubble520 · July 2013

I am a teacher and I pump at my desk while my co-teacher and I are on our lunch and the kiddos are in the cafeteria. I have been busted in on many times because I always forget to lock the door...oops

aibrean · July 2013

I just got a new job that I start in August (after the leave from my old job would officially end). I will have to pump in the bathroom because it's all open and that's literally the only place with a door that's private. That said, they are talking about moving into a new and bigger facility where I can have some input on putting in maybe a private area in.

DottyBlue · July 2013

We have a mothering room on each floor of my office. All of the offices and conference rooms have glass walls and doors, so my employer had to build a room specifically for pumping mothers. It has a built in counter the length of the room, a mini fridge, comfy chair, phone and deadbolt on the door. I have been the only person on my floor using it since February

ShadyKull · July 2013

I pump in my office with the door locked and black construction paper taped over the door window.

Your employer is required to provide you a private space to pump. Have you asked them about this?

[Deleted User] · July 2013

In a chart room, with a locked door. Despite the fact that only two people have a key, and there's a sign, I've been walked in on twice. Awwwkward!

MoreThanABride · July 2013

I work in a large office and we have a dedicated room for pumping.

ohlordy · July 2013

I work on an college campus and my dept was just moved into a new bldg near the health center and my boss said there are a ton of rooms there we might be able to use. If I'm not near the rooms, I will be using a corner of the break room or in my car. I am an interpreter and move around quite a bit during the day, so my car is also an option.

fusionbride · July 2013

I work from two different sites-- in one site there is a designated pumping room for the entire 4-floor building-- it has a hospital grade pump, sink and locking door.

at the other site, there is a designated conference room that you can reserve/schedule. So, me and that admin have gotten super tight since she knows every single time I have to pump, but she also looks out for me and keeps the room open on days she knows I'm in the office.

CLLDLL · July 2013

We have a Mother's Room designated specifically for pumping moms. They provide 5 hospital grade Medela pumps, a fridge/freezer, a sink with soap, sanitizing wipes, a storage cabinet for pump supplies, and if you want you can check out an ipad to use while pumping. Pretty posh, so I know I'm very lucky! The only painful part is that it's kind of far from my desk so I feel like I waste 5 minutes walking to and from every time I pump.

Brummy14 · July 2013

Our work has a really nice set up -- the company is massive, so we have two pumping rooms -- each room as 2-3 "cubbies" with screens at the entrance and high walls on all other sides. So, you can hear other moms pumping, but it's private beyond that. The also have a fridge, sink, Lactina pumps (for those who want to use them), sanitation wipes everywhere, etc. It's an AWESOME set up, and I'm so blessed to work for a company that advocates for and enables BF.

aylafsu88 · July 2013

When I first went back I used to pump in the conference room (I have a shared office). After a couple of awkward walk-ins I asked for a private place to pump. My department was able to give me an empty office on another floor. It locks and is in a more quiet area of the building.

mb314 · July 2013

I actually pump in a bathroom. Our office's designated pumping area is my boss's office, so I would have to kick her out of her office three times a day. The bathroom I use is big enough for a comfy chair and a table, plus it has a sink. I am pretty much the only person who uses the bathroom. My office has 8 people in it and we have 3 bathrooms, so it hasn't been a problem for me to commandeer one of them.

I do sometimes pump at my desk (if my two male coworkers that I share a space with are out of the office). I can shut the door, but not lock it, so I tape a sign to the door so no one walks in.

aibrean · July 2013

ShadyKull said:

I pump in my office with the door locked and black construction paper taped over the door window.
Your employer is required to provide you a private space to pump. Have you asked them about this?

Technically, no - they aren't required to provide a private space. Only if they have 50+ employees. Otherwise, they aren't required if it poses hardship.

"Whether compliance would be an undue hardship is determined by looking at the difficulty or expense of compliance for a specific employer in comparison to the size, financial resources, nature, and structure of the employer’s business. "

jennyelf · July 2013

Brummy14 said:

Our work has a really nice set up -- the company is massive, so we have two pumping rooms -- each room as 2-3 "cubbies" with screens at the entrance and high walls on all other sides. So, you can hear other moms pumping, but it's private beyond that. The also have a fridge, sink, Lactina pumps (for those who want to use them), sanitation wipes everywhere, etc. It's an AWESOME set up, and I'm so blessed to work for a company that advocates for and enables BF.

My company has the same set up. Also there are cubbies/lockers so we can keep our pump/supplies there. Also a hot water maker and a bunch of mother's milk tea. I too feel blessed that my company is so awesome to nursing moms.

RJM050705 · July 2013

My work has a pumping room somewhere on campus but I think it's at least a 5 min walk and I'd have to go outside.

Luckily, in my wing we have a space that we use for clinical supervision of our second year graduate students. I just plan my pump sessions around when they have supervision. It locks, but it does have those one way mirrors and I could be seen if someone opened the supply closet. Hasn't happened yet! We have a filing cabinet in there that I use to store my pump during the day and I have a mini fridge at my desk for milk and pump parts. This room is only about an 8 second walk, so much better than the pumping room!

Cooper611 · July 2013

I work in a hospital, and it is a state law to have a secure locked room available for all nursing mothers. They also provide hospital grade pumps.

ave1012 · July 2013

I would pump in a room that was used to load data onto a computer, it was not a room used often that I was disturbing anyone. I would however put a sign on the door that every time that said do not enter. Maybe you could do that while you are in the conference room if that is what you have to use.

rm2013 · July 2013

My office has a dedicated lactation room, however it takes like 10 minutes for me to get there and set up - I have to go down 15 floors and cross through an elevator bank. It's really nice though, you have to have a special key card to get in, there are three large pump areas with curtains, a commercial fridge, sink, and long counter.

That said, I have a demanding IT job and it is mostly impossible to get away 3 times during the day which is what I need to have enough milk for LO on a daily basis (and keep my supply up). So, more often than not I pump in a conference room right about 3 cubes away from my desk. It locks, and has computer jacks and a phone so I can work and pump at the same time. Even though it locks I use a nursing cover just in case (and also because the conference room has a wall of glass windows). If you don't have access to a room that locks, I'd recommend using the nursing cover so that even if someone bursts in your modesty is preserved. I'm happier using the conference room than the lactation room. Now, if they would put in some jacks and a desk, I'd be there for sure.

Survey: Where do you pump at work?

Re: Survey: Where do you pump at work?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards