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Babies: 3 - 6 Months
Work and Pumping vent
Anyone else pumping at work? How do your bosses/co-wokers handle it?
I have been having a hard time since I came back from maternity leave....I had a female manager at the time and she was very understanding about it and let me do what I needed to and whenever. Now there is a male in charge....and he asked my co-worker what I was doing in the office with the door locked, she told him I had a 5 month old and I was pumping. Ok....that is fine, but then when I came out she proceeded to talk about it to him with me sitting there...ummmmm...no. It was like I wasn't there. She kept bringing up that I go in there for 30 mins 3 times a day and how that is to much. He never said anything but ok I will figure it out. UGHHHH....then everytime I go to pump all my co-workers (all female) have to say something to me about pumping..like gosh you do that alot, are you not done nursing yet?. and why don't you just formula feed?? They are getting on my last nerve and making it really hard not to just give up!!
Sorry I had to vent and DH just doesn't get it.
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Re: Work and Pumping vent
"I'll gladly take cold sores over eye herpes" -ElieFin
"Unicorn glitter gives me UTIs." -Leila'sMommy
My co-workers are awesome about it. My boss on the other hand has been the least cooperative person in the world. At first, she would not have my breaks scheduled so I would get lectured every day I worked and had to pump because I would go over on my break time. Now I have scheduled pumping times but no lunch break because I should be able to eat and pump in a half hour. (um... first cannot take food out of the break room and second once you put everything together and clean everything it takes about a half hour...) But whatever. I make it work. She still yells at me most days for going over on my break time to eat.. But she can just shove it.
That would piss me off as well. It sucks that they can't just do their own work. If they continue, I would just politely say I don't see how my pumping is any of your business.
My coworkers are great about minding their own business and never remark about me pumping.
Good luck.
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I actually never told my boss I pump. The only people at work that know are the 2 girls that work in the same office as me. I just go to the bathroom and do it. I'm not trying to hide it, but I'm not offering out the information unless someone asks. This way I don't have to deal with any side-eyes.
I'd be really pissed. I think you need to talk to your boss about the comments.
My boss isn't at my location so I don't even know if he knows that I pump. Luckily I have my own office so I just shut the door and do what I need to do. Sometimes I shut the door and don't open it right away. If its closed for a long time people will occasionally comment, but I just tell them that I was lazy and didn't get up to open the door.
I haven't had issues pumping with either kid.
Ugh - I'm so sorry.
I agree with all the previous comments. Just though I'd add that you could mention to the coworkers the next time they give you crap that hooking yourself up to a machine for 3x/day is hardly a leisurely break. It's hard work and a total PITA. And also maybe tell your boss that BFing is workplace friendly. Breastfed kids get sick less often than formula fed ones!
My office (mostly women) is pretty great about my pumping, but I do have to do it in a shared office (I close the door and a cubicle wall separates the two workspaces, but still it's awkward). When coworkers say something or ask questions (mostly out of curiosity) I just make sure to casually bring up the fact that I work while I'm pumping (even though I am "entitled" to the break ... and even though most of my pumping time = bump time
...) So even though the law's there AND my boss/coworkers are okay with it, I still feel the need to prove myself by pointing out how I work during. (So maybe just say you're working during).
That's awesome that pumping is protected by law! I know that companies of a certain size are required to provide a room for moms to pump in also. I usually work from home but occasionally go into our local office, and when I did the first thing the office manager did was show me which office they had designated for pumping and how to work the lock. I guess I'm lucky (helps that the office manager is NOT my boss though and could care less how many breaks I take - my boss and team members are all several states away!)
I was going to say, if it really became an issue you COULD do it at your desk, wearing the hands free pumping bustier, with a hooter hider over you. I think it would probably make everyone else feel so awkward they'd probably be happy to see you go back to the private office.
HAHA they would freak if I did it at my desk!!
We only have 1 room that locks besides a bathroom and they always complain about me going in there. My old female boss didnt care when or where I pumped because she had to with her son, this guy is new and he doesnt necessary care either it is just the way my co-worker felt the need to talk about it.
I have to clock out for lunch and use that as one of my pumping times and I get so much grief because I take longer than 30 mins and they get pissed if I have to run out at lunch then I have to pump on the clock or in the car which takes even longer.... they just dont get it. I told one co-worker this morning if she didnt shut up I was going to report her for harrassment and if she thought I needed to switch to formula she could buy it for me until my DS is 1. She hasn't talked to me since....thank gosh!
The only time I ever got mad at a co-worker for pumping was when I worked as a bank teller. It was generally just two tellers (me and the pumper) and between the hours of 9 and 5 she apparently had to pump for 45+ minutes 5 to 6 times a day, leaving me alone with all of the customers for pretty much half of our shifts. And we didn't clock out for breaks because we just took them whenever, so she was getting paid for working 8 hours and only working maybe 4 on a good day.
Unless you pumping is affecting their work, I don't see how its any of their concern though. I also would have given your co-worker the business end of a verbal whipping if she was talking crap about you like you weren't there! That's just rude. And what you're doing doesn't sound at all unreasonable.