I don't even know where I'd pump at work. I'm NOT going to sit and pump on the toilet. Hopefully by that time I have my own office (I'm currently sharing with one person), so that would simplify things. Even the conference room has a window on the door, ugh.
DS born 2/18/2019 DD born 4/1/2023 Baby #3 EDD 11/21/2024
We didn’t have a pumping room - we were expected to pump in our (shared) offices where people were in and out constantly. My old office discouraged pumping passively to the point that I’m sure it wasn’t legal. It was really tough. My new job is amazing about it though
@grebretso you would ask your office mate to use the conference room while you occupy the office for those breaks. I will undoubtedly have to take over someone's office for my breaks, and only half of them don't have windows. But I only plan on being in the office one day a week after baby, thank goodness!
I hated pumping, and my job was (sort-of) supportive of it. They converted a closet into a pumping room by putting a lazy boy and a mini fridge in there. People do act like you are taking a break from work. My boss yelled at me once that I was “never around,” so I just started double pumping once a day so I wasn’t away from my desk as much. I might not pump this time around.
Pumping was not fun for me at work either. I worked as a nurse on a busy floor so trying to find time was the hardest part. And we didn’t have an area for me to pump so I had to find empty rooms or the break room and put a sign on the door for people to not come in. Luckily most of my coworkers on the floor were women and were very supportive of me leaving the floor to pump but it still sucked to not have a specific room to go to!
People get annoyed with moms pumping at my work too, which is dumb because I work at a pediatric hospital. But yeah everyone just thinks it’s an extra break you get. The hospital does have pumping rooms and hospital grade Nederland pumps to use though, one bonus!
My last two jobs fit this exact mold. It’s incredible. Especially since there were also smokers at both places. I got targeted, but the smokers got their breaks no questions asked. It’s absolutely incredible.
I work in people's houses with pediatric patients. So my pumping room really depends on the person's house but usually it's in the same room as the patient which is kind of awkward, especially when I get teenage/adult patients (I've seen "pediatric" patients go up to 28). I work nights so thank God it's usually when everyone else is sleeping but then there's the added stress of trying not to wake up the patient with a super loud pumping machine -_- I'm really not looking forward to that again. Pumping alone is bad enough, let alone less than ideal pumping environments at work.
ETA the worst is getting judging eyes from the parents when I walk in with my pumping machine. Like they're thinking about how it's taking time away from their child, what if there's an emergency while I'm pumping, or they're just grossed out/weirded out knowing I'm doing that in their house.
@BourbonBiscuits I had the same situation. With DD I had a shared office and my director came in and did not understand why I still requested a temporary private space. Like do you realize a pump is loud and that people just come in and out?! Sadly, my boss at the time (who thought I was too young to have a child) told me I chose to have a baby and I would have to figure it out. Thankfully, I have my own office now and new boss, so hopefully things will be better this time around, especially with an extra month of saved leave.
I am sorry for all of you whose employers think pumping is a break! Especially when you work in a hospital! Don't they realize I would rather be doing other things then be teetered to a machine! I think I am going to invest in the willow pump for freedom. We shall see though.
@cass06_07 I'd say yes if your insurance covers it - it's nice to have a bottle on hand if you go out to dinner or need a middle of the night break. I loved wandering around Target completely alone when I was on maternity leave, but DS was still tiny enough that I needed to leave a bottle behind for him lol.
@cass06_07 My understanding is that the Affordable Care Act mandated that most insurance companies pay for breast pumps for new mothers, so if you're in the US, your insurance probably covers it. This company can help you figure out which pumps your insurance might cover.
ETA: I'm not sure why the link doesn't seem to be working, but the company I was talking about is Aeroflow, a quick google should take you where I was trying to link to.
@cass06_07 - I’m a teacher turned SAHM and still got into a pumping routine around a month old with my son so that I could leave for a mani/ pedi, Target run, whatever!
A pump wasn’t part of my insurance benefits back when I needed one but with ACA, it’s pretty much expected that a pump, of some kind, is covered (at least partially). I’ve submitted my insurance info throughout Aeroflow and they were super quick to get me an answer on what type of pump is covered. They basically do all the work for me, which I love!
My company is amazing in having a pumping room. Only 1 for the bldng, but last time I only had to share with 1 other mom so it was easy. Mini fridge, sink, chair, snacks, drinks. But, I also work off a laptop, so I pumped with a hands free bra and still worked. They were pretty good about not having calls etc while I was pumping but every so often I would. Usually I could mute my side but there were times I was talking and people asked about the noise.
TW: 1 infant loss 8/17: Our daughter was born 8/18: Our daughter kicked open heart surgery ass 2/19: We lost our son to Prader-Willi/Paradoxical Vocal Cord/ Noonans at 6wks old 4/26/2020: EDD for baby #3!!!
@jessier19, @okayestmom12 thanks to you both. Im in canada.. but i checked out my benefits web app and a pump is listed so ill call and find out which one theyll cover... would hav just paid out of pocket didnt even think so thanks & @BourbonBiscuits
I’m in Canada as well, unfortunately my insurance just covers for high risk births/ premature births so your OB might have to be willing to fill out the paper work. I stayed at home for 13 months and I used my pump way more than I thought I would, especially with my oversupply. I then ended up donating milk to a close friend so I ended up pumping multiple times a day
@okayestmom12 When you set up the product spotlight for pumps, could you please include a little blurb about checking with insurance for coverage (or partial coverage if you purchase a higher-end model)? It seems like this is something that isn't widely known among FTMs, and it could potentially save a few hundred bucks. Thanks!
I’m just going to say it. Yes, all children are beautiful BUT newborns generally are a hot mess for a few months. Baby acne is a real thing, and super common. They’re swollen, wrinkly, hairy, DD had terrible cradle cap. A lot of the time their first round of hair falls out in only certain areas. Their coloring takes a while to kick in no matter their ethnicity. I remember a lot of parents being surprised that babies don’t come out looking like a Gerber baby model immediately.
Re pumps, sometimes insurance gives you a sucky one, like mine did. The Ameda purely yours or whatever. I ended up shelling out for the spectra S1 that was worth it all the way.
TRUTH @madreofdragons. DS was a lil squished from being stuck in my tailbone for upwards of 3 hours. His skull literally came to a point like he was wearing a birthday hat. Needless to say he wore a lot of cozy hats the first few weeks until things ... settled.
Babies frequently come out bruised too, which still is so wild to me.
Oh and DD’s feet were turned inward. It fixes itself pretty quickly. I’m pretty long in the torso and she still was always trying to stretch her feet out. Wasn’t surprised to see her feet that way. Also her left (I think)
My youngest DS could have done commercials for proactive for the first 3-4 months of his life. Poor kid had the worst acne. Didn't clear up until I switched him to baby aveeno.
I think I better get H to read through these last few posts... bahaha, had no idea. Or maybe I should refrain and just tell him when the baby comes out that whatever weirdness is going on is his fault.
When they talk about newborns looking like a withered old man, that was mine. It was not real cute. Some of those bella baby pics of him are downright scary!
That postpartum depression isn't the only postpartum mental illness (even though most are diagnosed under the PPD umbrella and treated the same, which I vehemently disagree with after experiencing the fact that that treatment doesn't necessarily work for anxiety and the like). Pretty sure what I had was PPOCD, and I thought I was losing my mind. I thought I'd be committed because I never realized what OCD actually was.
That some newborns cry all the time. Sure, I knew they hardly slept, but no one told me that some could cry for hours upon hours during the purple crying phase. I was told in the hospital one or two hours. HA. My baby would go from 2 or 3 pm until 10.
Reading these is making me glad that our babies will be born in February, when hats are in season! LOL I think that out of all of the mammals, humans are some of the ugliest babies. Foxes win the award for cutest babies, btw. Otters place second.
Ooooh another thing that my aunt actually told me when we were taking DS home from the hospital - they don't really "wake up" until a few days after being born. My aunt said "the nurses put the batteries in when they send you home" and it was SO TRUE. Those days in the hospital were blissful - he just slept and pooped and ate. When we got home he definitely woke up and was not such a sleepy little thing anymore.
Re: Wish I would have known!!
DD born 4/1/2023
Baby #3 EDD 11/21/2024
DD born 4/1/2023
Baby #3 EDD 11/21/2024
I work in people's houses with pediatric patients. So my pumping room really depends on the person's house but usually it's in the same room as the patient which is kind of awkward, especially when I get teenage/adult patients (I've seen "pediatric" patients go up to 28). I work nights so thank God it's usually when everyone else is sleeping but then there's the added stress of trying not to wake up the patient with a super loud pumping machine -_- I'm really not looking forward to that again. Pumping alone is bad enough, let alone less than ideal pumping environments at work.
ETA the worst is getting judging eyes from the parents when I walk in with my pumping machine. Like they're thinking about how it's taking time away from their child, what if there's an emergency while I'm pumping, or they're just grossed out/weirded out knowing I'm doing that in their house.
I am sorry for all of you whose employers think pumping is a break! Especially when you work in a hospital! Don't they realize I would rather be doing other things then be teetered to a machine! I think I am going to invest in the willow pump for freedom. We shall see though.
ETA: I'm not sure why the link doesn't seem to be working, but the company I was talking about is Aeroflow, a quick google should take you where I was trying to link to.
A pump wasn’t part of my insurance benefits back when I needed one but with ACA, it’s pretty much expected that a pump, of some kind, is covered (at least partially). I’ve submitted my insurance info throughout Aeroflow and they were super quick to get me an answer on what type of pump is covered. They basically do all the work for me, which I love!
MMC 2.12.11 @ 8w
PVM 5.8.12
GWM 3.17.15
RPM 2.21.19
1 infant loss
8/17: Our daughter was born
8/18: Our daughter kicked open heart surgery ass
2/19: We lost our son to Prader-Willi/Paradoxical Vocal Cord/ Noonans at 6wks old
4/26/2020: EDD for baby #3!!!
Babies frequently come out bruised too, which still is so wild to me.
BFP 6.8.2018 EDD 02.18.2019
That some newborns cry all the time. Sure, I knew they hardly slept, but no one told me that some could cry for hours upon hours during the purple crying phase. I was told in the hospital one or two hours. HA. My baby would go from 2 or 3 pm until 10.
I think that out of all of the mammals, humans are some of the ugliest babies. Foxes win the award for cutest babies, btw. Otters place second.
BFP 6.8.2018 EDD 02.18.2019
Also @kayjay44 you are lucky!