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Stories of a Bathroom Pumper
This story started when I decided to return to work part time when my baby was 3 months old. Out of an effort to protect the image of my highly-respected field of work, I won't spell out what I do for a living, but it's okay if you want to guess.
So I gave my resume to every potential employer in the area and anxiously waited...
"Anxiously" for more than the obvious reasons. I was SO nervous about telling a new boss that I would need to pump at work.
(Scary lead in music...)
I work 10 to 12 hour shifts. Legally, I cannot leave the immediate area where I work without closing up the place. So I cannot go somewhere else for breaks. I can take breaks, I just can't leave the building. Can you start to see my dilema?
So I got a call and accepted a job. Yea! A paycheck was in my future! And the clock started ticking to my first day and the dreaded conversation about where and when to pump at work. I wish I didn't get so sick to my stomach whenever I think about it. I know I am doing the right thing, breastfeeding my baby, but the thought of telling my boss makes me want to crawl in a hole and never show my face again. I couldn't even sleep the night before my first day. What will people think? What will people say? Maybe I should just not pump and see what happens. Maybe my breasts won't hurt from engorgement after 10 hours. Maybe they won't leak. Oh, but what if my milk dries up. I can't let that happen. I love my baby too much to let that happen. Okay, I will lug the pump and I will just tell them I have to do it. So I frantically searched the internet for help/advice, to no avail. There are no pumping laws in my state to help me. Bringing up laws doesn't seem like it will give a good impression to my new boss anyway.
I report to work my first day and secretly try to scout the place for an appropriate place to pump. Ugh... there is not even an office or store room. The only place that is at all private is the bathroom. The bathroom? Oh that sucks.
The business is owned by a husband and wife. The husband is the boss. The wife is kinda just there working. So I picked her as the obvious choice to ask about the pumping issue. "I need to pump my breast milk. Where is a good place to do that?"
She just stared back at me.
Patiently, I waited for her to answer.
She continued to stare back at me.
I could feel my face turning red, "Should I just go in the bathroom?"
"Yea, I think that would be best," she responded.
So I gave my resume to every potential employer in the area and anxiously waited...
"Anxiously" for more than the obvious reasons. I was SO nervous about telling a new boss that I would need to pump at work.
(Scary lead in music...)
I work 10 to 12 hour shifts. Legally, I cannot leave the immediate area where I work without closing up the place. So I cannot go somewhere else for breaks. I can take breaks, I just can't leave the building. Can you start to see my dilema?
So I got a call and accepted a job. Yea! A paycheck was in my future! And the clock started ticking to my first day and the dreaded conversation about where and when to pump at work. I wish I didn't get so sick to my stomach whenever I think about it. I know I am doing the right thing, breastfeeding my baby, but the thought of telling my boss makes me want to crawl in a hole and never show my face again. I couldn't even sleep the night before my first day. What will people think? What will people say? Maybe I should just not pump and see what happens. Maybe my breasts won't hurt from engorgement after 10 hours. Maybe they won't leak. Oh, but what if my milk dries up. I can't let that happen. I love my baby too much to let that happen. Okay, I will lug the pump and I will just tell them I have to do it. So I frantically searched the internet for help/advice, to no avail. There are no pumping laws in my state to help me. Bringing up laws doesn't seem like it will give a good impression to my new boss anyway.
I report to work my first day and secretly try to scout the place for an appropriate place to pump. Ugh... there is not even an office or store room. The only place that is at all private is the bathroom. The bathroom? Oh that sucks.
The business is owned by a husband and wife. The husband is the boss. The wife is kinda just there working. So I picked her as the obvious choice to ask about the pumping issue. "I need to pump my breast milk. Where is a good place to do that?"
She just stared back at me.
Patiently, I waited for her to answer.
She continued to stare back at me.
I could feel my face turning red, "Should I just go in the bathroom?"
"Yea, I think that would be best," she responded.
Comment
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Comment by burp mcgurk, Star Mom on January 11, 2011 at 7:46pm -
when i went back to work after 7 weeks i dreaded the where am i gonna pump question as well. i already knew there wouldn't be anywhere to do it. i was offered the GLASS-WALLED conference room.
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Comment by someonehasmyname on January 4, 2011 at 2:45pm -
Every single time I read posts about pumping, everyone is up in arms about the pumping the bathroom issue. I can see that it is not the nicest place to pump, and if the bathroom is very dirty... I think even I would not do it, but... I pumped the entire first year of my son's life in some sort of bathroom, sometimes my own! It was convenient, had a sink, and privacy (the first couple of months, my mom's boyfriend was staying with us). I have pumped in office bathrooms, airport bathrooms, friends' bathrooms.... I was once in an office that did have a 'pumping room', equipped with sink and paper-towels. IT was very nice, but it was SO far from my regular working area, that I ultimately preferred the bathroom that was closest to me! The milk was never exposed, except for when I was taking it out of the pump and covering it with its cap, but I did that quickly (BTW, breast milk is incredibly anti-bacterial). My son never nursed (I just couldn't figure it out, and my mom was against the whole breastfeeding thing, because in her perfect world, formula worked just fine... never-mind that her two daughters have always had weight issues), so I did this pumping in bathrooms routine several times during the day and night for twelve months... and everything was fine! I never did care if anyone else heard the pump... there was one lady who was concerned that something was wrong in the bathroom, which I thought was funny. I told her over the stall that it was my breast pump and she was like 'oh, ok!' and life went on. So anyway, I am sorry if pumping in the bathroom is uncomfortable for you, but if you HAVE to do it there, please don't worry about it! My son is perfectly healthy, constantly in the 90th percentile, and very happy! A product of about 90% bathroom-pumped breast milk!
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Comment by Chrisa on October 22, 2010 at 9:48pm -
To all the women posting comments on my blog: Thank you; your support has really helped me to see the importance of declaring that I am doing what is best for my baby without feeling so embarrassed about doing so. I really hope that message is reaching other mamas who may feel the same awkwardness at their workplace.
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Comment by Andrea on October 22, 2010 at 2:09pm
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Aw...you have no idea how comforting it is to read your story. I feel like I could of wrote it, except the part of having a new boss. My work bathroom has several stalls so one day I just had enough and went to the gym in the building and pumped in that bathroom. It worked out better so I contiued to do it because at least I wont have to see those people in the halls later. To my amazement, one day I walked in the locker room and found another woman there pumping! I smiled at her and I suddenly just don't worry about what others think so much because I got a chance to see things from a different point a view.
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Comment by RJ on October 10, 2010 at 9:41pm
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The Federal law signed by Obama requires that a woman not only be given breaks to pump but also be provided a place other than a bathroom to do so. I have had women who I work with suggest I pump in a bathroom and to that I reply with the question of whether or not they would eat their lunch in the bathroom. Most people agree with my point when I put it that way. That's not to say that I've never pumped in a bathroom - sometimes there is no other alternative. It seems like something so natural and good for your baby should not be so taboo! Any woman who perseveres through pumping at work for any length of time should be commended!! I think may of us feel like we have to choose between work and nursing and that shouldn't be the case. My daughter is 9 months old and hasn't had a drop of formula. It has been hard but is so worth it. I've had to be creative about pumping and often have to build in extra travel time to and from meetings to make sure that I have time before and after to pump. I also scope out public places that should have nice, clean restrooms if I won't have a private place to pump. Nourishing your child with your own milk is something to be VERY PROUD OF, not ashamed of! I think if you own it and handle it with confidence as opposed to something that you should be ashamed of, people respect you for it. When I have to work my pumping schedule around meetings or conference calls, I simply tell people that I'm still nursing and I need some time to take care of my personal needs or my "motherly duties". I've been treated with dignity and respect as a result. And, if people are talking behind my back, I really don't care because I know I am doing what is best for my baby and that's all that really matters!
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Comment by Sarah Buhrman on October 6, 2010 at 1:46pm
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First of all, there is now a FEDERAL law regarding pumping. If the company has more than 20 employees and you work hourly, they HAVE to provide a non-bathroom, privacy-ensured place to pump and the breaks (paid or unpaid) to do it.
As for your situation, I'd get a pumping bra and do it in public... :D
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Comment by Asena Roy on October 5, 2010 at 10:25pm
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I pump at the bathroom as well and my baby is 10 months old.I understand your pain,retail sucks with providing a place to pump for breastfeeding mothers too :( stay strong!
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Comment by Amanda Bullard on October 5, 2010 at 7:40pm
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I work in a male ran company and of course "pumping" gets you looks like you wouldnt believe from the guys. I actually take my breaks and lunch to pump. All of the offices and conference rooms do not have locks on them and I actually share my office with a man so there is no way that I can pump in there. I currently have to pump in the bathroom, no it is not ideal but I do not have any options. I do have a chair and it is pretty clean since there are only women in the whole plant. I wish there was a better place but it has to do!!
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Comment by Tasha Thorn on October 5, 2010 at 1:52am -
I pumped in the bathroom at work too. only they had no outlet so I had to do it by hand. It took forever and people got mad because I was in there for so long:( I hope things change for you.
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Comment by Eva Ramsey on October 4, 2010 at 11:29pm -
Also, if you're not uncomfortable talking about breastfeeding, inform your employer about the statistics of sickness amongst breastfed versus bottle fed babies. You'll likely miss less work b/c you're baby will be sick less often as a result of being breastfed.
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