Breast Western

jrouge12 · April 2016

I went back to work this week and was so happy with my designated pumping space! They wouldn't want to burden me with a key so they conveniently have me find someone with a key to let me into the Luxury Pumping Suite. Of course once inside I have a lovely view of an unplugged fax machine and some stacked boxes. Fortunately it's someone's office so sometimes I get the surprise of finding a meeting going on in there. I have a copious 35 minutes to pump, twice a day in between teaching. What's your pumping location like? Do you like it?
(On a non-sarcastic note: I am grateful that women have rights to a non-bathroom location to pump.)

amandavan83 · April 2016

I pump in our teacher lounge while myself and my fellow pre K teachers eat lunch. They don't mind. I just wear a large shirt to cover everything. I only have about 15-20 minutes but luckily my PM class is integrated so the special education teacher can cover the class if I run a few minutes over. It is not ideal but my only other option is a bathroom.

m6tonner · April 2016

I put a "do not disturb" sign on my office door, a curtain across my one window, and drag a chair in front of the door just incase someone tries to come in anyway (which in 3 weeks has already happened twice).

I had a conference all day yesterday, and my luxury pumping room had a functioning copy machine in it, I nearly had a heart attack when it started spitting out papers. Fortunately, the person was slow in coming to get them.

Pumping at work is truly 7th level of hell torture. Not only do we get to miss our babies like crazy, we also get to pretend to be dairy cows.

Kimberlyain · April 2016

My designated pumping space is actually a one person bathroom....guess they didn't get the memo about the new law

thankfully most days I just hijack the conference room with the cushy chairs and pump in there

Sahara26 · April 2016

Teacher here. I pump in the mornings in a storage closet that is attached to our school library. In the afternoon, I pump during my planning session in my classroom. Unfortunately, in the 2 weeks I have been back, I have been walked in on twice. Of course, even though the majority of the employees in our building our female, both times it was a man. Both of them have a master key and never knocked. The storage closet I will give to them because I wouldn't knock on a closet either (and it was my second day, so I didn't have a sign yet). But when the other man walked into my classroom, he ignored my yelling (!) and just came right in to drop off our class snack.

Fortunately, I keep myself mostly covered and facing away from the door. So neither saw anything. Plus, they were both more embarrassed than I was.

jessjuhnke · April 2016

I use a private one person bathroom off a empty office, it was my choice though. I like it because it's in a area of the building that is pretty private and no one goes over there. I have all I need with an electric outlet, sink, counter and paper towels. I just wheeled over a comfortable seat and left it in there.

charliesmommy6 · April 2016

I use my office which, thankfully, has a lock on the door. I put up a "please do not come in" sign but I have had at least one knock on my door even though I've only been back for a week. I'm an attorney and my firm is like 95% men. But luckily, a lot of them have young kids so they are familiar with the whole pumping thing. I'm pretty sure most people I work with would be more embarrassed than me if they actually walked in. Plus I use a hands-free bra so there really isn't much to see between that and all the pumping equipment. But I know I'm one of the lucky ones - I feel for all of you that have it harder than me. Being a working mom is tough as it is without having to fight for a decent space to supply food for your kid.

mrsgetz4000 · April 2016

Locker room. I could probably push for a more private area, but honestly the locker room is easiest. Considering everything i need is already in my locker. The other ladies don't mind. And if they did I wouldn't care anyway lol. I despise pumping.

KFrob · April 2016

After reading this I feel extremely lucky! I work for a large life insurance company and we have a nursing mothers room. There's a recliner, hospital style curtain (just in case of walk ins), mini fridge, paper towels and sanitary wipes, and an "occupied" sign for the door. There are about 5 of us using the room currently and we have a calendar to sign up for time slots. We also have a bulletin board with our contact info in case some one needs a time switch and to post baby pics.

emzie54 · April 2016

I just close my office door and I can take as long as I like. I have a pumping bra so my hands are free to type. Being a therapist in a group practice, closed doors are very much respected, so no intrusions! I guess I took this for granted, but reading the other experiences here makes me realize how lucky I am! It is a challenge to figure out how to schedule patients around pumping though.

kmo8986 · April 2016

I go back Monday and will be pumping in my classroom during lunch. It is a 25 minute period and I usually pump for around 10-15 so some days I may even have time to eat my lunch!

lrayas · April 2016

I'm a teacher so I have my elective (40 min) and lunch time (20 min). Luckily, I live across the street from my school. As in, 4 houses away. I talked to my principal about it and she was on board with me just coming home to pump. So convenient!

MissMheMhe · April 2016

I'm extremely lucky to work for an organization that is very pro breastfeeding. There are several empty offices on my floor so I got to pick one and claim it as my 'Mother's room'. I taped a 'Please Do Not Enter' sign on the door and it locks for when I'm in there. I have a heavily tinted window to look out and love to people watch so that helps the time pass. There are two of us nursing currently and each get our own space. I set my pump up in the morning and leave it in the office until my last pump (I usually get 3-4 in, pumping every 2-3 hours). I can also take as much time as I need. I use my lunch break for one pump and end up taking ~20 minutes the other times.

Ljohn43 · April 2016

My company had the glass window on my office frosted and installed a locking door handle! I just close my door when I need to pump and so far it's been great! I am very grateful!

Ju111310 · April 2016

I go back to work tomorrow so I'll be searching out a pumping space. We've got a couple a vacant/rarely used offices so I'll probably claim one of those. I'm hoping for a door with a lock. When I was pumping for DS1 at my old office, I pumped in a storage room. One of the other employees (older woman) came in regularly to get supplies and she started making it a habit to come in and chat while I pumped. Annoying. I was walked in on twice there by men, one of our IT men got all up in my personal space to get a piece of candy from a candy jar before he realized what I was doing. I just laughed but he was so incredibly embarrassed. The other time was a UPS delivery man...I learned to keep my back to the door after that one.

tfrangul · April 2016

Like a couple other pps said I am very grateful for the company I work for now. We have a "lactation station" that 2 people can use at a time. There are nice gliders with footstools, a shelf and plug ins in each station and curtains. In the room there is a fridge, sink, hand sanitizer and paper towels. I would say the best part is there are only 2 keys and it's located by the front desk so you never have to worry about interruptions. It's a large company so we have a schedule we use and we just email the others if we need to change it up. It's definitely a huge upgrade from the warehouse bathroom I was made to pump in after I had my daughter!

Mamabeagle · April 2016

Kimberlyain said:

My designated pumping space is actually a one person bathroom....guess they didn't get the memo about the new law thankfully most days I just hijack the conference room with the cushy chairs and pump in there

Complain. The law is the law and you should not let that shit slide.

cyanope · April 2016

I'm also a teacher and pump in the office inside my classroom. I get to work early so I can pump before class. Then, I pump during our 15 minute nutrition break, and during my "prep" period. I also have a hands-free bra, so everything is covered and convenient. I've had one walk in, but it was totally my fault. I left my classroom door unlocked, and a student walked in. I was in my office, and the student only walked into the classroom area. I just yelled out that I was busy and they needed to come back later. The student didn't even see me or know what was going on, so the crisis was averted! The worst pumping moment happened last week. While I was hurriedly pouring the milk into a storage bag before the bell rang, I must have spilled a drop on the table in my office. So of course my two TA's (who sit in my office) noticed, and since they're teenage boys, had to freak out about it. I just laughed it off, but they still haven't let me live it down!

nackie · April 2016

Today was my first day back and fortunately I have an office with a door that I can close. It doesn't lock though, so I stuck the doorstop under it once I closed it and used a cover just in case. My team is almost entirely male, so I'm hoping I don't get walked in on.

Knottie84607381 · April 2016

Before I got pregnant I never even knew there was a designated space at my office for pumping. Turns out it was in an electronics storage closet complete with a spare desk chair! Now thankfully, there is a larger room cleared out just for that purpose with an armchair and table. I know how I would deal with trying to pump in a bathroom stall. I would do what I had to, but of course I'm grateful for this space!

stephanienjer · April 2016

Have you seen this? We joke that our lactation room is a "murder room." I work in an office in a building that used to be a college dorm. It looks like the room we use was formerly a locker room. It's in the basement, right by the garage entrance, equipped with a leaky shower that drips, and everything covered in dust. Reading some of these others, though, I guess I should be glad we have a locking door and a sink.
https://www.scarymommy.com/women-share-images-of-the-places-theyre-forced-to-pump/?utm_source=FB

katievw311 · April 2016

I work at a high school and there are three breastfeeding mothers. We all use a small room in the library workroom that has a large shelf for us to store our pumps and accessories. It's very private and comfy. We have a routine for the times we pump and it works perfectly. It's really nice to have them to talk to when it gets lonely and tedious. We keep each other motivated to do what is best for our babies.

katiedid0907 · April 2016

I work at a hospital. We have a designated "lactation station" but it is literally a chair with a shower curtain around it right next to a fridge in a very busy womens locker room and break room. So embarassing. Luckily the ladies on our labor and delivery floor are super understanding and encouraging and they just let nursing moms use a room at the end of the hall that they almost never need to put a patient in. I'm so thankful for that!

MamaHolland · April 2016

I work from home full time & I can almost never find the time to pump plus my Breast don't respond well to pumping. I get 2 ounces at most per session. By the time it's pumping time I end up nursing instead so I just grab the baby, breastfeed then give her back to my husband then I jump back on the computer.

I end up using my manual hand pump at my desk or in the bed in the dark in the middle of the night or on the couch watching tv. The manual works better for me than my Medela electric pump.

mrsgetz4000 · April 2016

So I work in a 4 diamond hotel. I was recently told, providing their is a vacant room i can go to the front desk and they will allow me to have said 4 diamond hotel room to pump in. My luck it will be all the way on the 7th floor. I have to figure out who to speak with to confirm. But I'll pump in luxury, with a tv and a fridge to store the milk

kimber308 · April 2016

I have a janitor's closet to use... no joke. And it's about a 1/4 mile away from my classroom. And it's in a classroom of students, so they see me walking into a closet everyday. AND the office is too busy to cover for me, so I have a teacher next door looking in on my kiddos (while he is teaching). It's a terrible situation.

Grace213 · April 2016

I work at a bank inside a grocery store. When I first started back I was in the security office for the store. But after being walked in on on my first day I decided to call it quits on using that room. (You're looking right at registers when you open the door...) The manager was told there was a "girl sitting in the security office" so apparently she needed to check on what I was doing. Now I pump in my banks back break room and just hide behind a giant sign to steer clear of the cameras. MUCH more comfortable!

Wicked4589 · April 2016

I was in a single stall bathroom when I pumped at work. It's the only room we have with a door. Completely open office.

jrouge12 · May 2016

Wow. I'm a little jealous of some of you guys! Glad to hear some of you guys have it good. @kimber308 That is terrible! Someone once suggested to me the school would provide coverage when I needed to pump and I think I'm still laughing.

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