Anyone have experience with pumping at work?

LILBIT1221 · November 2012

can we talk? I looked back to make sure this hasnt been talked about & didnt see anything. Feel free to link me, if I missed it.

Will this get less awkward? Do you have a pump room? I have been assigned to the break room, & I put a sticky note on the door so people know I am in there. (weird) I hate that I feel like I am sitting in there all exposed & junk. If you are in a common area, how are you being more discreet? And, I cant always pump on a regular schedule now, I am hoping it wont mess me up. I didnt do this with Ashton, can you tell? Any tips or encouragement will be appreciated.

TL;DR

thumper80 · November 2012

I throw on a nursing cover just to feel a little less exposed.

LILBIT1221 · November 2012

LoisLane23:

We have a room, but it's a long walk so I sometimes just pump in my office. If I use the room though, there's a sign that says "room in use" and everyone knows it is the pumping room.

I hate every second of it. I feel bad that I'm on work time, it's so quiet except for the machine and I just don't like it. I would prefer to just throw the kid on the boob for a few minutes.

I tried to pump 3x at work but I'm just too busy to do that. I go twice a day now and try to get as close to 4 hours apart. Here's my schedule if you care:

4am: wake up, pump for 30 minutes.

shower, get ready, etc.

7am: at work

8am or so: pump

work

12 or 1: pump

3:30 off, home by 4

Baby has usually just eaten before I get home, so I either suffer until the evening feeding or I pump when I get home.

8pm: nurse, pump if I need to afterward, go to bed.

also tl;dr

the fact that you get up at 4:30 amazes me. I thought that when you were talking to me about this last time. *bows down*

Ok, so no wonder I am stressing, I have been in there every 2 hours today. My brain is still in that mode, I guess.

So, with what you guys are pumping, is that what you are sending the next day? For some reason, this never crossed my mind & I was ready to throw it in the freezer, out of habit.

Do you make bottles, or send milk bags? MissNikki said I should send enough for 5 - 4oz bottles.

LILBIT1221 · November 2012

intheflowers:
Not work but I do clinical rotations in a hospital and I use a lactation room. To be more discreet (which isn't really necessary in my case but it makes me more comfortable) I get set up with the pump and pumping bra, and then pull on a zip up hoodie or a cardigan backwards so it's on my arms and covering my front. That's also how I pump in the car.

AHHH good idea. I will bring one in tomorrow & keep it here. I have the bandeau for hands free, & I havent used it today, it seems like too much work. Do you change at work, or just wear your pumping bra to work?

LILBIT1221 · November 2012

LoisLane23:
I am a freak though, I pump 12 ounces in my morning session so I can cheat a little throughout the day and not pump as often but stay ahead of her consumption.

I swear you should have your superwoman logo tatted on your bewbs. They are no joke!

msobus · November 2012

I pump in my office. I actually put a teddy bear on my door. Even though my door is locked, my boss wasn't use to me back and he was afraid he would walk in. The bear hangs from the handle. I feed him at 4, pump at 630, 10, 1, 430, then feed him in the evening usually around 6, 9 and 1am.

LILBIT1221 · November 2012

My commute isnt long enough to pump in the car, but I would be so freaked out that a cop would pull me over, or I would get in an accident with my bottles hanging from my bewbs. ha-ha.

Thank you for all the great tips. I have pumped 3 times today. The last time was pretty pointless. I am debating if I should try again before I go home, or just wait to nurse him,

Jennifer Ruth · November 2012

I work on a trading floor so I have to use the pump room.

I'm not back to work yet, but I'll do the same with #2 that I did for #1:

nurse in AM before leaving for work

9:30 pump

12:30 pump

3:30 pump

Home between 5 - 5:30--nurse when home and before bedtime (8pm)

I use the handsfree bandeau bra and keep it in my pump bag in the pump room. When I pump, I just throw the bandeau over the top of my nursing bra / tank.

In the beginning its kind of akward, but you'll get more efficient. It would only take 10-15 minutes each time once I got in a routine.

I can email from my phone, so that helps me feel like I'm totally not ignoring work.

diskogurl · November 2012

intheflowers:
Not work but I do clinical rotations in a hospital and I use a lactation room. To be more discreet (which isn't really necessary in my case but it makes me more comfortable) I get set up with the pump and pumping bra, and then pull on a zip up hoodie or a cardigan backwards so it's on my arms and covering my front. That's also how I pump in the car.

This except I use my nursing cover and then do work for the 15 minutes. I also pump in the car while driving to and from since I only get one break during my rotation.

hterry85 · November 2012

auroraloo:
LoisLane23:
I am a freak though, I pump 12 ounces in my morning session so I can cheat a little throughout the day and not pump as often but stay ahead of her consumption.
I hate you.

I seriously hate you.

I work from home and I've kept Jack home with me all week even though I'm not supposed to. This kid takes 5 oz bottles, and I've only been pumping around 8 oz a DAY. My freezer stash was almost gone just in the two weeks I was back at work, so I'm trying to put off supplementing as long as I can. Sad

tinyhumantoe · November 2012

I WAH 3 days (watching LO.......fukkkk) and commute to the office/lab 2 days. This is my 2nd wk back.

So....... I pretty much feel like a dirty creeper pumping at work. My office door doesn't have a lock, so I put a keep out sign on the door when I pump and I wrap a piece of paper around the door handle that says "NO!" Behind my back is a big wall of slightly tinted windows to the outside. I keep my back to the windows, put on a nursing cover, and wear a hands free pump bra. I <cough> stillwearmaternitypants <cough>.... so my stomach doesn't feel exposed. When I can fit my fatass in to some regular jeans I will probably want a nursing tank. The nursing bra and cover make me feel less creepy and I work through the pumping. Walking across the hall to rinse my pump parts in the sink makes me feel like a freak. Anyone have a suggestion there?

4:45am - nurse LO, get her back to sleep, pump, shower, pack up pump & LO, commute 1.5h to my mom's house (it's a GD marathon to do all this and get out of the house by 630)

7:30 nurse LO at my mom's house, commute 20 min to work, arrive @8am

10 pump
1230 pump
3 pump
5 - leave work, 20 min drive, nurse LO at 5:30, home & dead by 730

^^this is ideal, but a few times I've gotten stuck in the lab or stuck with clients and have only managed to pump twice at work. I was talking to an inspector last week and saw my milk soaking through my shirt. Through my nursing pad, bra, shirt, and lab coat. whoops.

FWIW, I think LO eats 2-2.5oz every 2.5h. I just ordered some fenugreek because I think she is eating more out of the bottle than she does from my bewbs. I'm paranoid my supply can't keep up. I only get an extra 2.5oz to store each day. ::envious look at LL::

Nicolejb781 · November 2012

LoisLane23:
I am a freak though, I pump 12 ounces in my morning session so I can cheat a little throughout the day and not pump as often but stay ahead of her consumption.

All I can say is WOW!

I'm not back to work yet so I'm just building up my stash at the moment! I pump once in the morning and get about 6 oz and once at night and only get about 3. I freeze those in 3 oz increments because the Medella bags I have say 5 oz but then they won't close and spill if I try and put more than 3 oz.

I have NO clue what I'm going to do about pumping when I go back to work. I work retail and we have no backroom or break room, I'm figuring I wj have to go into the bathroom to pump or the car and that's if only if I'm working with some one and get a break that day! I'm enjoying my time bf because I'm scared that'll it'll have to end shortly after going back to work because I won't be able to pump enough and my supply will go down over time!

thebanich · November 2012

We have a "room" (its actually a closet) but you can hear everything through the door. Not excited about that..

MommaP12 · November 2012

I have been fortunate to have nice rooms with locks and sinks and such for this. In 2009 there was a law passed that companies of a certain size HAVE to provide mothers rooms. We have two.

I lock the door and get it done in 30 minutes 3x/day. 10am, 1pm, 3:30pm. I nurse/pump in the morning and nurse all night.

I get 3-4 oz. each time I pump at work and anywhere from 4-9 oz. in the morning depending on the last time I nursed her (could be 2am, could be 4am)

Whatever I pump, I take home and freeze. We pull from the freezer stash for the next day since stuff only lasts 3 months in the freezer. So right now, we pull Sept/Oct milk for her and I freeze anything I pump now so we rotate through it all.

This is what I did with DS and he was able to get half F/Half BM bottles through 8 months after having only BM for 6 months. Hoping that's the case for DD too.

ktnicole · November 2012

Superbewbs.. I also seethe with jealousy. I have like 6 oz in freezer and didn't pump enough today to replace what she ate. I'm going to try fenugeek too.

BabySeaTurtles · November 2012

Get a hands-free pumping bra. It's like a tube top and only your nipples come out while the rest of you is covered. Plus it allows you the use of your hands so you don't have to just sit there and stare at the wall while each minute that passes by feels like an hour.

jnnfrrose6 · November 2012

I just started back this week. LO is 12 weeks today and we've been working on getting him to sleep through the night since week 3 (he started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks). As a result, we're on a pretty good schedule. I get up before 6 and get myself ready for work and everything ready to go (I shower the night before so I don't have to worry about it in the morning). He gets up at 6:30 and I feed him right away. We leave for daycare/work around 7 and he gets a bottle at 10am. I pump as close to 10 as I can. I'm the first in my office in years with a baby, so I'm set up in a small closet/room. I put a table in there and use the hands free bra thingy so I can bring paperwork in with me and not feel so guilty about using work time. I'm lucky to be about 5 mins away from him, so I go to him for his 1:30 feeding on my lunch break. He gets a 2nd bottle at 4:30 and I pump again. Pick him up after. He gets a bath at 7, breast at 7:30 and then he's down for the night. I try to pump again around 9 or 9:30 to get a small stock in the freezer for nights out, etc..., as I'm currently just pumping for the next day (slight fiasco day one when I locked the closet with the pump in it and everyone with a key had left for the day).

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