- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Breastfeeding
WWYD, Pumping at Work
I've been back to work for 2 weeks and management's been supportive of me pumping. It's a really small office, and they're giving me the option of using either of 2 empty offices (most people sit in pretty open cube-type desks). I'm the first person to have ever pumped at work and most people are younger than me and still hitting the bars after work, so I'm feeling self-conscious about pumping and don't want to be perceived as getting special treatment (pumping breaks).
For office #1, I need to walk through a room of people at their desks to reach the office to pump. I feel weird having people watch me, wonder what I'm doing, etc.
Office #2 is better in that it's more out of the way and I can slip in and out. It's right next to the computer they use for FedEx though. Yesterday, I thought that they were done with the shipments for the day and went in the office, only to have the person come back and start working again!
She was working for a while, had people stopping by to chat, etc., so I was afraid to start pumping -- I imagined hearing them going "what's making that noise? where's it coming from??" 
I was thinking of my boss noticing I was taking a really long break, my coworker picking up the slack, etc. So I waited as long as I could then just started pumping.
Anyone been in a similar situation? Is there a way to keep the pump noise down? Do people in your offices know you pump, and are they supportive?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: WWYD, Pumping at Work
This may sound lame but--Keep your head held high!! You are setting a trend for other women to feel comfortable if they ever need to pump. Also, don't be ashamed because you are giving your baby the best and others can suck it haha
I don't know what pump you have but mine (PISA) I don't think you can hear through walls/doors. They seem loud when you are right next to it though!
But to answer your question, everyone (I think) knows I pump but I'm not the first bf'er in my office. So far everyone is supportive but they are making me move to a different office since they are turning the boob room into an actual office.
Thanks for the support. I figure that if someone asks me directly, I'll tell them I'm pumping. Maybe I could work it into conversations so people aren't wondering? One plus is that the company's mostly women.
One thing I forgot to mention: in the company's handbook, it says specifically that the company'll provide a room for pumping, but any time spent pumping must be made up. And that time over lunch doesn't count, you need to work extra hours.
With my commute, I'm already away from home for 11 hours a day so making up time really isn't possible. I'm afraid that if people complain a lot and it gets back to corporate, management in my office'll start making me make up the time.
At first i felt self-conscious about it, but now it's no big deal. Once the word spread around the office that i was pumping, i actually felt better about it. So maybe if you talk to people about it, you wont feel like it's such a secret activity. As the days and weeks pass, it won't feel like such a big deal. I also found that even though the pump seems super loud to me, if i put the pump on the floor, i can talk on the phone without people hearing it at all. I also let my manager know that i am using a hands-free pumping bra so that i can continue working. Whenever my door is shut and i am pumping, i always make sure to send one or two work related emails to people to "prove" i'm still working in here. I also pump on a strict schedule so that everyone knows when to expect me to be unavailable.
However you handle it, just don't be ashamed about it. You should feel so proud that you are making such sacrifices for your baby! I think it's pretty pathetic that in many workplaces, pumping is treated like office gossip. People need to get a life!
I just read your second post.... Also, depending on when that company handbook was written, the situation may not be changed with the new Healthcare Reform Act which allows reasonable breaks for pumping. If your employer has more than 50 employees, they are subject to the new regulations.
What about pumping during lunch while you eat for one of your sessions? Then it's not an extra break.
Thank you!!! Do you happen to know where in the Healthcare Act it says that breaks are required? Would be good to have the info, just in case. I'd heard that it says that companies must provide a room, didn't know it required time too. That's really cool.
The handbook says that pumping is "unpaid break time" and "may be made up before or after the employee's regular work hours". We don't get paid for lunch, so I should be ok over lunch. I pump 1 or 2 other time too, though.
Here's a link:
https://www.jacksonlewis.com/legalupdates/article.cfm?aid=2016
It requires that employers furnish breaks, but states that they can be unpaid, which doesn't help you necessarily. How long is your lunch? Maybe you could ask to split your lunch? Like if you get a half hour lunch, take a 15 minute break at 10:00 and another 15 minute break at 2:00? Then eat at your desk while working?
Thanks -- I just bookmarked the link.
I've been working through lunch b/c I don't want to give the impression of slacking at all, and I can mention that if they say anything to me. I don't get it though -- people take smoke breaks and run out to get coffee and breakfast all the time, and that's on the clock, so why would the company specifically say that pumping time is unpaid??
This! Don't be secretive about what you're doing.
FWIW, DH called me on my cell a couple of weeks ago when I was pumping. Anyone else, it would have gone to voicemail, but I asked him if he could hear it. He said it was slightly there in the background, but sounded like a copy machine, and he wouldn't have thought anything of it had he not known what I was doing. So if it is that quiet on a cell phone, I think you'd be ok through most doors.
I've also heard that tossing a jacket over the pump helps muffle the sound.
Months ago, I thought I would be super shy about pumping at work and was dreading explaining it to my coworkers, etc. I work in a mostly male office and field and for a small company - under 50 employees. There are zero empty offices for me to use and our conference room is in constant use, so pumping in the ladies room is my only choice. Luckily it is a private bathroom, with a little table, etc so it isn't too bad. And I have the sink right there for clean up!
I'm sure the guys are wondering what the heck I'm doing in the bathroom so often. Worse, I have to run an extension cord for power, LOL. If anyone asks, I'd be happy to tell them I'm pumping though. No one has said anything to me yet, but I do feel like my pump is making a ton of noise, lol. My one (male) coworker who sits near the ladies room always comments how much our receptionist blows her nose in there, so I'm sure he can hear me. I really don't care though - I'm doing what I need to do for my baby.
I eat lunch at my desk while working and take something I need to review into the rest room with me while I'm pumping. I wish I had my own office and could pump hands free and work at the same time, but this will have to work for now. I really think you could do a little work and pump at the same time - just bring something with you that you need to work on, read, review, etc. Plus, if any of my coworkers made a fuss about it, I would kindly remind them that they all spend plenty of time chatting, smoking, checking websites, etc and I'm actually doing something with my "breaks" to benefit my LO.
Happy Birthday, little man. We love you so much!
My favorite money saving tip: I've earned more than $300 in gift cards (Amazon, Starbucks, Southwest!) using SwagBucks for internet searching - and you can too! It's FREE and EASY!
When I was pregnant, my coworker (who is also pregnant and avid BF supporter), arranged for me to be able to pump in her office. She has a door that locks. Well, when we painted the window in the door, people were asking why. I told them straight out that I would be pumping in there and wanted privacy. Our offices are a little better than cubics only in that the walls are a little taller. Not all of them go to the ceiling, but the pump isnt that loud.
I wouldn't worry if people wonder what you are going to either office for. You are getting special treatment. You are doing something to feed your child. It is natural to give a child breast milk and since you have to work, you have to get it out somehow!
Did you call your manager and talk to him/her about it? I thought I'd end up pumping in the bathroom too, but there were layoffs while I was on maternity leave, so now I get my choice of offices.
I was nursing LO at 6, right before I left for work, then pumping at 10:00 and 2:00, then nursing her right after I pick her up from day care, at 5:30. BUT, my supply was lower, so now I'm trying pumping at 9, 12, and 3 to see if that helps. I heard that every 3 hours is best.