Pumping and Jury Duty

MJCF

Hi Everyone,

Anyone have experience pumping and serving jury duty?

I have jury duty in 2 weeks.  My DH called and checked to see if they have a place I can pump and they do   ha, I mean that's good but doesn't look like they'll be sending me home.  They do not have a refrigerator (and I wouldn't use it even if they did) so I'll be taking an ice pack and cooler.  I have the Medela PISA that came with a cold pack and cooler so I'll take that.  I have extra pump parts that I think I'll take to avoid having to wash at the court house. 

My questions:

If the ice pack is frozen solid that will keep my milk safe for 8 hours?

If you have been through this before did you just pump during breaks and try and get as close to your normal pumping times as possible?

Any other helpful hits for pumping in unfamiliar places? 

Thanks

adrielegorburu

I use ice packs to keep my milk cold everyday and you should be fine.  I use four packs in an insulated lunch box.  (the one large blue one that came with my Medela melts really fast so I use the gel type bags that freeze) - The packs stay frozen for me most of the day.  They may have a fridge in the jury room that you can use to keep your cooler in and prolong the freeze.  Medela also makes wipes that you can use to clean your parts if you need to.  Legally they will have to accomodate your pumping schedule, I also work in a law firm and if they are going to pick you they might think twice for that reason (they wont want to stop so you can pump) just tell them you pump every x number of hours.  If you do end up serving and have to pump make sure you bring a cover-up with you, that way even though you will be in a place that is set aside you know you wont be exposed if someone walks in.  HTH

mrambo3

The Medela PISA cooler that came with it says it'll keep the milk cold for 12 hours so you should be fine. No experience with jury duty.

MJCF

adrielegorburu:

I use ice packs to keep my milk cold everyday and you should be fine.  I use four packs in an insulated lunch box.  (the one large blue one that came with my Medela melts really fast so I use the gel type bags that freeze) - The packs stay frozen for me most of the day.  They may have a fridge in the jury room that you can use to keep your cooler in and prolong the freeze.  Medela also makes wipes that you can use to clean your parts if you need to.  Legally they will have to accomodate your pumping schedule, I also work in a law firm and if they are going to pick you they might think twice for that reason (they wont want to stop so you can pump) just tell them you pump every x number of hours.  If you do end up serving and have to pump make sure you bring a cover-up with you, that way even though you will be in a place that is set aside you know you wont be exposed if someone walks in.  HTH

Oh yes, very helpful, thank you. If it looked like I was going to be selected I was going to mention something to them about being engorged, leaking, and totally not paying attention to them if they don't let me pump!  ha.  I have no problem serving on a jury, I just did a few year ago in fact, I'd just prefer to not have to worry about pumping and serving.  Thanks so much!

MJCF

So...would it be wrong to say I have to pump every 2 hours?  hehe

GBCK

be realistic about how long it takes you to pump too.

I SAY it takes me 15 min to pump...and it does.

But it also takes me 5 minutes to get to where I go, hook everything up, etc.  Then 5 minutes to pack everything up and bag the milk,e tc.

So it REALLy takes me closer to 25 minutes from when i walk away from desk #1 to be DONE pumping and ready to be back at work...

I'd imagine in an awkward place, it'll be at least that long)

mexicolombiana

First of all ASK TO BE EXCUSED FROM JURY DUTY! While it doesn't appear that Missouri has a state law that specifically states that nursing mothers shall be excused from jury duty (like most states do)

But it's possible you can be excepted from jury duty because you have to care for your small child:

https://www.familyfriendlyjuryduty.org/JuryStates/JuryStates_files/page0014.htm

Good luck but I urge you to ask the judge to be excused from jury duty if you don't think you can adequately pump in the intervals you NEED to pump.  I'm an attorney and I've done a few jury trials and let me tell you that sometimes cross-examination and interview of witnesses can take hours and you will NOT be given the proper breaks that you need.  I guarantee that they will not be able to accommodate your pumping schedule exactly as you need to pump.  Plus jury deliberations can take days, and what if you have to be sequestered? Seriously, ask to be excused first! And if that doesn't work then DEMAND a pumping schedule that you absolutely NEED. 

And remember you will be in a new place that might not be adequate to your pumping needs.  It might not have a lock, it might not be as private as you think, you might not have access to a good refrigerator, etc.  

I urge you to speak up for yourself and tell them your milk will go bad if it is not properly stored, you can get mastitits from being engorged, you can leak through your pads and be uncomfortable and tell them that this will negatively affect your ability to concentrate and focus on being  GOOD juror.  This will help them in their decision to excuse you.  Trust me, the attorneys do NOT want to pick a juror who doesn't want to be there and has their mind somewhere else. 

Tell them you are unable to perform your duty as a good juror when you are in pain and engorged.  In fact, if you can get a doctor's note or something expressing the necessity to pump every 2 hours for at least 20 min. intervals then do it!  Just speak up for yourself.  No one else will care about your plight!

 

Good luck!

 

 

Mrs.B6302007

As a nursing mother, you should be able to claim hardship this time.

ETA:  Our state has a full-time care of child under school age exemption

MJCF

Thank you so much everyone for the great info and help.  I planned on speaking up and mentioning that I need to pump every so often and I won't be able to concentrate if I'm engorged, leaking and in pain.  Hopefully that will work.  I was originally scheduled for jury duty in January but my DS was just a month old so I called and they said I could be postponed for a year if I wrote a letter and got a drs note.  So I did and they rescheduled me for only 6 months later.  ugh.  I'm just going to go and hope to get out of it.  If I wasn't breastfeeding/pumping I wouldn't mind jury duty but I have a feeling its going to be hard to deal with both. 

I don't believe my state has a full-time care giver exemption because last time my boss went to jury duty there was a new mother there that didn't have anyone to watch her baby and the judge yelled at her!