Teacher pumping at work question

LiveNLove44

Mobile: Teacher pumping at work question

 I plan on heading back to work after 8 weeks (we don't have any paid maternity leave, and this baby just wasn't meant to come during the most convenient time for a teacher: summer). I had originally planned on 6 weeks, but based on encouragement from peers and my DH, I've decided to extend it slightly.

With that said, I am also hoping to BF. I am a FTM and want to BF for at least 6 months if I can, so that means pumping at work. I am a high school teacher and I hardly have 22 minutes for lunch. I requested to have my prep hour at a time when I think, based on others' experiences, I'll need to pump. That also means I'll have to extend my day at the end to compensate for time I won't be spending planning/correcting papers (let's be honest, there is no real end to the day when you bring home essays, is there?). Mobile smiley

 Are there any teachers here who have advice for pumping at school? I really don't want to throw in the towel early just because my work schedule doesn't allow it; I don't think that's fair to our new LO. 

rockychryslerb2010

Not a teacher, but my mom is a principal.  She has many teachers that pump. She is at an elementary school, so her teachers pump in their classrooms when kids at specials, recess or lunch periods. It is not ideal, but they lock their classroom door and put a sign over their window. 

I never needed anywhere close to 30 min to pump, it just depends.  I could finish pumping within 10 min, and you can save time by storing your parts in the fridge so you don't need to wash parts between sessions.

Do you have any coworkers who went through a similar situation you can ask for advice?

mhickey426

I am a High School Guidance Counselor.  I tried pumping at work but barley found the chance.  If I pumped 1x a day I was lucky.  I have classes, appointments, coverage, there is always a kid at my door.  There was a teacher who pumped and had an easier time to pump because of her set schedule. 

dizzycooks

I pumped at work.  We don't get to pick our schedules and I wouldn't say either of mine were the best, but it worked.  I pumped after DD ate in the morning, during my prep and again at lunch.  I just skipped my lunch duty days.  My principal requires that we supervise student lunch once a week, but then I couldn't have pumped.  He wouldn't assign me a different duty so I just told him I'd go when I was done pumping.  Well, pumping takes me 30 minutes and I only get 20 for lunch so I never went.  Sometimes I pumped again at 2:30 (end of the day) but typically I just left to get DD right away and nursed at daycare.  Days we have afternoon meetings I would pump and go late to the meetings.  No one said anything.

Five Months to Plan

I teach hs science. I pumped at 6:00 before I left for work, 11:45 at lunch and either right after school if I had a meeting or tried to feed as soon as I got home. It was not an ideal schdule. My prep and lunch were back to back, and I do wish I had had a morning prep so I could have gotten one more morning session, but I made it work. Many people pumped and ate lunch at the same time. 

It made for a crazy day. I felt like all the time I spent at school I was either teaching or pumping. I brought lots of work home to make up for that time. I made it work though.  

LiveNLove44

I'm thinking the handsfree pump will be the way to go when it comes to making the most of the little time I have. Thank you for all of the input!! I'll plan on nursing right before I leave, second hour at the beginning of my prep, C block during lunch, and then after school. If I don't need to pump that often, at least I have an idea of how much time it could possibly take. It's nice to see feedback based on how long it took some of you (range from 10-30 minutes) because that will help me keep it in perspective; we're all going to be a little different. I can see throwing in the towel out of frustration if I felt like I was taking way too long to pump. I guess the name of the game will be patience and persistence. THANK YOU!

northtamarack

Another thing to keep in mind is that your body is going to adjust to your schedule.  Don't say because you can't pump in the am that you should stop.  

I pumped before I left for work, at 2nd hour prep and then at the end of the school day.  I had a co-worker insist on pumping 6th hour, which I thought was silly because she could have made it to the end of the day.

I think the only thing that took more time was the set up and take down of the pump/bottles.  I did not get a hands free set and was able to balance and correct papers at the same time.  I would then just enter the grades at a later time.  

 

Another thing you might want to think about is to keep an extra set of pump parts at school.  I forgot mine a few times and it was incredibly uncomfortable. 

Even though I had a sign on my door, I still had people walk in on me.  If this thought makes you feel uncomfortable, you might want to think about getting a tri fold or something.  I think that they were all more uncomfortable than I .... and they only did it once!  :-)  

GL to you!  If you want to make this work, you can do it! :-)