Police officer mom

Beautifullgirl · May 2014

I'm a police officer and first time mom. My son is 9 weeks old. I will be returning to work in about 3 weeks and as you can imagine I'm a little nervous about how everything will shake out. Luckily my mother will be able to watch him a few days a week while me and my husband are at work.

I'm 9 weeks postpartum and still recovering from a c-section. I'm breastfeeding my son and it is going very well. I have two concerns about returning to work: 1) Pumping during my 10 hour shift. 2) Wearing my police duty belt after having had a c-section.

Are there any other police officer moms out there who can share any advice and their story about returning to work? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Beautifullgirl · May 2014

Bump

TheBorg7of9 · May 2014

Welcome to the board. Don't know of any cops here, but good luck! The breastfeeding board has lots of info about pumping, but I'm not sure how you would do it while on duty.

cedenton · May 2014

I'm married to a police officer, but am not one myself. I don't think there's really any way to keep a pump schedule at work unless you resign yourself to a desk job until you want to quit bfing (or pumping(. Sorry.

I think I would talk to your doc about the C-section scar and belt. I can't imagine he would clear you for full duty until you were able to wear all your gear comfortably.

Good luck!

Beautifullgirl · May 2014

Thanks I really appreciate your comments. I plan on talking to my doctor. I was curious since I don't know to any female officers who are on patrol breastfeeding and had a c-section. (Man that's a lot going on...lol).

nic9911 · May 2014

@ beautifullgirl,

I hope I am posting this correctly, it has been a while since I have posted to any boards but I figured maybe I could give you some insight....kind of?

I am a police officer, working now at 3 am which is how I stumbled across this post. I went back to work, patrol, at 6 weeks. What type of environment do you work in? Is your hq close to where you patrol? Could you stop back to pump in your locker room? As for wearing the gear, it just sucks. If your not healed well could you do desk duty until then?

Honestly my job played a large part in my decision to FF. I would not want to discourage anyone from BF but it wasn't going to work for me. Are you the only female in your dep to have a child?

Beautifullgirl · May 2014

I'm not the only female officer with a child but I think I'm the only one who has had a c-section and is breastfeeding. The other officers I know who have breastfeed all had desk jobs at the time (like detectives or were supervisors with an office).

My department is working on an area for me to pump during shift. If I was able to deliver my son vaginally I probably would have been back to work by now. This c-section busy is not fun. Not to mention, wearing all if my gear for a 10 hour shift.

pattiduke007 · May 2014

Not a police officer either. I'm a physical therapist though and I know some of my patients who have discomfort will wear an abdominal binder (looks like an elastic girdle) to keep things in. The compression sometimes gives a feeling of support. Does the belt hang right on your incision? Are you worried about the rubbing aspect or just pain in general? An SI joint belt or support might also be an option as they sit a little bit longer. Hope this helps

nic9911 · May 2014

I don't think you could pump in the car while driving. I don't know what her dept policy is but I have to wear a bullet proof vest. Not only are they uncomfortable but impossible to even scratch an itch. In full gear I'm probably 20ish lbs heavier.

I am one of two females in my dept. The third in the dept's history. I was the first to have a baby so really there was no policy on anything. Did you work until your due date beautifullgirl? I think I went light duty around 12 weeks. I don't know how I would have worn this for longer. Good luck!

Beautifullgirl · May 2014

@ nic9911 Yep I worked up until I had my son. The night I went into labor I was supposed to be at work but I did to go in because some it did to feel right. Had I gone in I would have been at work when my water broke...lol. I started working ligt duty when I was eight weeks pregnant. I was very bloated in the beginning.

Wow the third female officer. That's cool and I'm guessing a little stressful at times. Has the department had to adjust a lot since you have been there?

nic9911 · May 2014

Not really, IMO. They built a female locker room. The poor girl before me had her locker in a hallway next to the female cell. I'm still using a male bathroom, it's the only one we have. They used to leave the door open but recently we hired a female dispatcher who caused an issue over it, so now we close the door. Haha

laujam31 · May 2014

My husband worked w a woman who pumped. They couldn't put her on any posts that required face to face relief bc she needed to come back to pump and they knew it. They def worked with her. Good luck.

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