Got a glimpse of the nursing room at work...

Melicakes · August 2011

Tongue Tied Basically, it's like a closet. Except most closets are bigger.

They took some random 4x4 (truly) space and put a door on it.

When I entered, I had to spin myself around te door just to get in there!

There's a mini fridge , an outlet and then a shelf (not a table or desk, a shelf) and a chair.

That's it. It's not ventilated so the HVAC doesn't work in there , so no AC in summer and no heat in Winter and basically gross stale air all the time.

I want to BF for at least a year, there's no way I could pump for 6 months after I come back to work in there!!

I am going to ask if I can do it at my desk and just put up a sheet or something to block the entrance to my cube...

It bothers me that the corporate office of a major retailer can't do better than this for their female employees who've had children...

I recently joined the Working Mother's Employee Resource Group, and one of the things I'd like to see changed is obviously this sad excuse of a room...

Does your job have a nursing room? What does it look like ?

Sunflower0908 · August 2011

That sucks - and I totally agree that employers should do more to help nursing mothers return to work. I'm pretty vocal to management that they need to do more. I felt I should speak up about IF, I kind of feel the same about this.

Our pumping room at work is an old office that has a glass wall along one side that has been frosted out on some of the glass - not all. It doesn't have a lock on it either. I'm def not happy about pumping in there.

I am friendly with a lady who runs our accounts payable dept and she has an entire filing room - she has helped a few nursing mothers out by getting them a copy of the key so at least they can pump somewhere private, and with AC etc. Is there anyone at work that has access to a locked office that you could befriend?

Sunshine05 · August 2011

I work in a science lab, so our desks are a part of our benches. Not even a cube. Thankfully we have a little office with a door, my friend/coworker's desk is in there along with an unused desk, filing cabinet and fridge/microwave for lunchtime. She usually eats her lunch at her desk but said she'd eat in the lunch room so I could use that room to pump while I eat my lunch. It has a door that locks although everyone has a key to it, so I'll have to put up a sign not to unlock the door.

It's not the best setup, but I'm grateful it's clean and not a closet. My other option would be to walk across the street to the women's center and use their lactation rooms. It would just be a pain to have to trek everything back and forth 1-2x a day. This will be much more convenient, which is key when you're doing experiments that follow their own schedule.

SweetDahlia · August 2011

That sucks. You would think they would have a better room.

I work for a HUGE family company, but at a small office in the Midwest and we don't have a room or any rights since it's just 8 of us. My co-worker used in her office, but I don't have one. I don't know what I will do.

MrsMAF · August 2011

At my work there is no official nursing room either. I will probably have to use an empty office...it's a little annoying to me that they haven't done anything to accommodate nursing mothers but apparently "it's never come up" before. Amazing that in the history of a company that's been around for 40 years, not one woman has needed a room for nursing?? My guess is, no one made a big enough deal about it so most of the moms just stopped nursing once they got back to work...Not me though!! Guess I'm the pain in the a$$!

msjcordova · August 2011

I work in a Child care center so our nursing room might be better then most work places. But we have a supplied hospital grade pump that moms just bring their own attachments to use. A comfy chair and couch, A/C, small fridge, coffee looking table with books about BF etc

MrsRich0226 · August 2011

I work in a small office and we currently don't have one but we have a new mom returning to work next week and besides me, there is a another woman also pregnant.

So selfishly, I've taken on the task to create a nursing room - it's a decent size with a lock on the door and has a mini fridge. I'm in the process of purchasing some furniture so it should be pretty comfy. I gave my boss a tour of it today and told him my plans to complete the room and he was 100% on board.

msjcordova · August 2011

MrsRich0226:
I work in a small office and we currently don't have one but we have a new mom returning to work next week and besides me, there is a another woman also pregnant.

So selfishly, I've taken on the task to create a nursing room - it's a decent size with a lock on the door and has a mini fridge. I'm in the process of purchasing some furniture so it should be pretty comfy. I gave my boss a tour of it today and told him my plans to complete the room and he was 100% on board.

Thats really great of you! I hope it turns out as planned

Echloe · August 2011

The nursing room at my work is not that bad. However, it is on the other side of campus and way out of the way for me. I work at a University. Anyway, thank goodness I have my own office. And I'm converting one of the prep rooms in my research lab into an additional office. It has a sink, and I'm going to buy a mini-fridge. So that should make this pumping thing a little easier and more sanitary.

I can't believe some of the conditions you guys have to deal with.

Melicakes · August 2011

It's pretty crazy all the ups and downs women have to deal with . You'd think having the baby would be the hardest part but nope always some kind of wrench in the plans.

I wish there was someone who's office I could borrow but most of the offices on my floor have a huge window. Also I'd feel weird pretty much asking someone to leave their own office for at least 30 minutes a day...

There aren't any spare rooms on this floor either that I could borrow.

I'm just going to keep pushing for a total revamp of the so called nursing room or pretty much standing stead fast at doing it at my desk.

A coworker of mine weaned her baby early because she didn't want to have to pump in that room. And another just didn't breastfeed because she didn't want to deal with the hassle of schlepping her stuff somewhere everyday ( she is kind of lazy though so I don't feel as bad for her)

I flat out REFUSE to not pump for my baby or wean her early just because of this BS excuse of a room.

If BFing doesn't work out that's one thing, but I am not going to bow out just because my job can't get it together!

matt'sbride · August 2011

It sounds so glamorous! I acutally work at a preschool which also has full time infant care downstairs and we have no such facility. Can you believe that? Anyways, at least you can get a little privacy I guess.

nycbride0707 · August 2011

I'm pretty sure ours is what used to be a glorified phone booth (for private calls since the office is open plan)! Thankfully I work from home most of the time, so I won't have to deal with it. I swear its the law that they have somewhere for you to pump-and one without A/C or heat just doesn't seem legal. Can you maybe talk to HR about doing it somewhere else (and tell them no, the bathroom is NOT a good alternative Smile

)

Melicakes · August 2011

nycbride0707:
I'm pretty sure ours is what used to be a glorified phone booth (for private calls since the office is open plan)! Thankfully I work from home most of the time, so I won't have to deal with it. I swear its the law that they have somewhere for you to pump-and one without A/C or heat just doesn't seem legal. Can you maybe talk to HR about doing it somewhere else (and tell them no, the bathroom is NOT a good alternative )

What's sad is the "room" is on the HR floor ! And when you go to HR to get your maternity papers they mention how they have a "room" available for nursing... HA!

I wish I could take pictures to show you all...

etoyama · August 2011

Wow, that is unacceptable! Good for you for sticking up for yourself and not just resigning yourself to pumping in that space. I hope that change is implemented before Carina is born. It's very troubling how little respect there still is for nursing mothers.

ChicagoWeded2007 · August 2011

That sucks!

We just moved into a new office building. the nursing room is pretty nice. I'd say it's 10-15 with a recliner, sink and fridge.

NicoleeBonsai · August 2011

in NYC i'm not surprised!

my current office (in midtown) has a really nice mother's room - i was surprised. there is a door with a privacy window (lets in natural light but you can't see in or out), a leather recliner, sink, mini fridge and magazines to read.

however, we are moving offices tomorrow and i have no idea what the mother's room will be like there (it is a much nicer building, so i'm hoping it's equally as nice).

Yellow_Daisy · August 2011

Nursing mothers are relocated to an office with a door that locks for the duration that they nurse. Once they are done nursing they go back to their cube. If they already had an office then a lock is put on their door so they can pump without being interrupted.

cvillecouple · August 2011

I work in a hospital, so we had a pretty nice room. 2 cubicles with curtains and hospital grade pumps behind a separate locked door. The 2 spaces were a must, and even still there was often a line (this was for DS). There were comfy(ish) chairs with tables and magazines, a sink and fridge. However, they are renovating the front of the hospital, so bye bye pumping room. Apparently they moved it to another connected building, which is literally a 10-15 minute walk (all indoors) away from the main part of the hospital. There's no way it would be practical to use since it would take at least 45 minutes out of your work day each time. I think the hospital dodged the law because it's all connected, so it can technically be called part of the same building. It is shocking what some of these places get away with calling pumping rooms!

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