Working moms: Ideal pumping room?

RedZee · April 2014

I work in a really large office. There are about 150 people who work out of the office, but only about 15 women. Only 7 or 8 women who are childbearing age/interesting in having more kids and I'm the only one with a baby. Still, reading Lean In made me realize that the only way to make places better for moms is to be the one to take the initiative. All the managers and CEOs of the company are men so it wouldn't occur to them to create a space for women to pump.

Currently, there are a number of open offices so the days I'm in the office I'm supposed to hang a piece of paper that says 'reserved' on a door and go whenever I need to. So it's definitely not BAD. All the rooms have desks and chairs and outlets and light. But, I am thinking of asking that one room be the "designated room" and maybe have some things in it that make it more comfortable. I'm not really sure what that would look like, so I was wondering what you wish you could have in a "lactation room"? What would make pumping easier/more comfortable for you?

So far, I would like to be able to leave the pump there all day (which I will probably end up doing anyway).

Also, hats off to all the women who went back at 6 or 12 weeks and have been pumping all this time. Just one day made me realize how hard it is to stay committed to doing that.

jennlin · April 2014

i work for a very large company, and we have about 50 pumping rooms spreadout throughout the buildings and i've been to several of them...my favorite rooms consist of ones that have...

sink (and dish soap)
refrigerator
dimmable lights (as opposed to on/off)
a comfortable chair with foot rest
napkins
hand sanitizer
room to share if more than one mom is pumping

none of the rooms have this..but i'm thinking about contacting the mother's room focal to add hooks/shelves we can store our pump/tubes on the wall, as opposed to packing it in a bag every time (since several moms use the room, we can't leave it out).

and also just something to think about--every room has a "sign in" sheet, where we sign in when we go, so that when a different mom needs to use the room, she knows when it's available. we also have a spiral notebook where the moms write notes to each other..we share advice, stories, and get to know each other, so that we're comfortable sharing the room, if necessary. some of the rooms have partitions where multiple moms can pump in privacy..but the main one i use does not have that, so sometimes we just sit on the floor and pump together.

good luck! working for a small company has it's advantages (having a say in the mother's room!) whereas i'm just one in about 200ish pumping moms right now.

jennlin · April 2014

@comeongetdown ooooh! a mirror! i'm always wondering how i look as i leave..mostly because i'm stuffing my face while pumping and i don't know if i have food all over me. i've been at least 15 different rooms in my company..none of them have had a mirror!

stephl3055 · April 2014

I'm no longer pumping, but I was really impressed by the setup at my office. My building is rather large, holds about 3000 people, so I guess it does get used regularly. I only ran across one other person when I was in there, though.

Users have to request for special security badge access to get into the room. We have to scan our badges to get past the security gate and then once more to get into the building, but I had to have our security group add access for this particular room. So that was nice to know some random dude couldn't walk into the room while I was pumping.

The room is setup with 3 "stalls" similar to a dressing room. They each have curtains across so there is privacy. Each stall has a chair, table, and a LAN cord for access to our network so that we can email and IM while pumping. The main area has a sink, fridge, and a counter top.

I've attached some pictures that probably show it better than I can describe.

alyshamarie007 · April 2014

My work has a gym upstairs that has a woman's locker room. Hardly anyone uses the woman's locker room so I go in there to pump. It has a sink, soap, and bathroom. It also has curtains separating the shower room with a comfy office chair on the other side of the curtain. It's private for the most part, I've only been walked in on 1 time and I had the curtain blocking me. I also like having a sink right in there.

RedZee · April 2014

This is great!!

They just finished major office renovations so I don't think they'll add a sink, but it's easy to bring paper towels, wipes, hand sanitizer. Those are great ideas! And adding a mirror is smart. I was super worried something was hanging out when I finished.

We have wireless throughout the building too so that's not really an issue. Also, we can reserve rooms through outlook so I can just have that room added to the list.

I wish there were other women at work in a similar situation. On one hand, it feels silly asking for these things because it's just me. On the other hand, it'll make it easier for other women in the company to go through this process. (And for me if I do it again.)

MissLauraPants · April 2014

I'm with Lia1303, I'm jealous..I just close my office door and pump.

RedZee · April 2014

MissLauraPants said:

I'm with Lia1303, I'm jealous..I just close my office door and pump.

I wish I had an office! I was wishing I could just pump in my cube.

Some of the guys are such techies they might not have noticed.

*blue*flower* · April 2014

I'm jealous. I'm a student and heard rumors of a lactation room at my campus (I'm on a medical campus so I had a picture in my head of a room with a comfy chair and minifridge with lamp.) When I found someone who worked in administration (male of course) who knew what I was talking about and where it was to show me I was shocked and appalled when he brought me to a bathroom with a rolling table (like what are found in a hospital) and a plastic chair. It's a private bathroom behind a secretary desk. The toilet and sink are right to the left of the chair. Seriously appalling that a campus dedicated to medical professionals would only have a bathroom for students to pump in.

edaire · April 2014

My mom is a high school librarian and she has a coworker that has a baby 2 months younger than LO. My mom allows her to pump in her office because the door locks and there are curtains over the windows.

Phalaenopsis · April 2014

We have a dry-erase board on the door to write the time started so people know about when you'll be finished. There's also an "occupied" sign to check, lock on door. Couch, dedicated breast milk refrigerator, room temperature control, Internet access. Also, there's an extension cord on the table for my ameda and a hospital grade medela. No sink in the room but that would be great. It would be nice to have your own space to store your bag and pump parts that are drying.

layali · April 2014

I'm lucky enough to have an office with a locking door, so I pump at my desk. I'd love to have a private room with a dedicated refrigerator so I don't have to try to lug my milk back and forth discreetly.

The only thing I'd add to the lists above is a microwave for those steamer/sanitizer bags.

Marinowski · April 2014

Hmm. Im jealous. My pumping room is a coded locked room just big enough for 2 chairs and a small table with an outlet. At least it is locked..

*blue*flower* · April 2014

Marinowski said:
Hmm. Im jealous. My pumping room is a coded locked room just big enough for 2 chairs and a small table with an outlet. At least it is locked..

At least one of those chairs isn't a toilet ;-)

kellyk17 · April 2014

I think everyone has it covered so I just wanted to add, it is awesome you are doing this, go you!

For me, every time I finish off a Medula steam clean bag, (which you can you can use 20 times) I give myself a big high five. It means another 20 days of pumping completed!

emmylou78 · April 2014

I'm Jealous. I pump in the locker room at work. It's cold and the only outlet is right by the door. So anyone walking in about hits me in the back. And all we have is a rolling desk chair. Not the worst, but could be better. Sometimes I get to sneak in a sleep room which is nice and way more private.

Definitely space heater or thermostat in room. Mirror and sink. Comfy chairs!

jennlin · April 2014

This is my pumping room-- does not have all the cool stuff I wish for

Teresa1489 · April 2014

So jealous!!! I work at a bank so I pump in a safe box room

I have to walk into the lobby with customers sitting and waiting, walk into the room and then out when I'm done and lug my pump and backpack with all my supplies, lunch box with ice packs, pumping bra, blanket for drips, bottles and flanges in there and usually a drink.. Kinda awkward.. So I am really jealous of all your awesome pumping rooms!!!

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