Please tell me pumping stories

[badtzmaru22]

Particularly ones where you had to pump in an awkward place or for an extended period of time.

I am having major anxiety about a few upcoming work events and a wedding where I will have to be a pumping MacGuyver to manage to get it done and keep the milk cold. I've already had to pump in my car while driving, but some of these events won't allow for even that, and I'll probably have to be a bag lady and carry everything around with me. Please tell me it will be ok.

[crazygame]

I was in a multi-day trial when I was pumping. I asked the court clerk if I could pump in the jury room during lunch. She told me that was fine and that I should have the bailiff let me in. When lunchtime came around, I approached the bailiff and he was so embarrassed by what I was going to be doing that it made it uncomfortable for me. Plus, the entire court staff was eating in the jury room, so I had to pump in a stall of the public restroom.

After lunch, the judge asked me to approach the bench. It seemed strange, because there were five attorneys in the trial and I was the least senior. I went up to the bench and he asked me if his staff was giving me the breastfeeding support I needed. I realize he was trying to be nice, but it was so awkward.

[oukapu]

I have pumped in the car on the way to work, at lunch, and then on the way home, when I have had all day work events. I kept the milk cool in a lunch tote and left the pump in a vacant office.
I played in a golf tournament and pumped in the morning and then when we were done in the afternoon. It was a long time between pumpings but it was okay. I left the milk in the car in a cooler.
I went to a oot wedding and kept the milk cold n the hotel in the ice bucket.

[water*drop]

You already know this, but my current pumping arrangement is to pump in my office while my officemate sits in the hallway outside my door and loudly discusses the fact that I'm pumping with any coworker who happens to walk by. It's not an awkward space, but it's awkward in general. Getting a letdown takes forever, and yesterday I managed to get 11.5 oz total from 3 pumping sessions. I'm working on a new arrangement.

[slug*bug]

Aug 24, 2012 8:54:00 GMT -5 crazygame said:

After lunch, the judge asked me to approach the bench. It seemed strange, because there were five attorneys in the trial and I was the least senior. I went up to the bench and he asked me if his staff was giving me the breastfeeding support I needed. I realize he was trying to be nice, but it was so awkward.

Awkward! But at least it came from a good place.

Until I became a pumping mom, I had no idea what was required (space, time, privacy, access to facilities etc.) Maybe he'd had previous experience w/BFing moms?

ETA: OP, it will be okay.

I've had the occasional off-site all day meeting and I've been a roving bag lady, so I hear you. I just take freezer packs and a mini cooler (or two depending on how long I was going to be away.)

I think it's been mentioned, but this is the nice thing about having a bag that says 'this is a pump': whenever I saw another mom w/the Medela PISA I recognized it and knew other moms (and probably some dads did, too.) If nothing else, it's been nice when other moms will offer an, "Oh, I've been there!" when they saw me toting it around.

[Becca]

I agree with slug bug. I loved having a pump bag that screamed pump bag. When I was out of the office, the bag itself often caused my clients to offer space up without me even having to ask.

Honestly, the less embarrassed you are about bringing it up, the less awkward it will be for other people. I have never hesitated to ask for space, and 95% of the time, people were happy to help me.

[badtzmaru22]

Thanks! I'm not embarrassed about it, just stressed about the logistics. OMG to the judge story.

Keep 'em coming!

[crazygame]

I sent out an email my first day back to work, telling the firm I was pumping and asking people to respect my privacy. A male partner responded "Are cameras okay?"

The email was only sent after a male partner walked in, despite there being a "do not disturb" sign on my door.

[slug*bug]

Aug 24, 2012 9:58:59 GMT -5 crazygame said:

I sent out an email my first day back to work, telling the firm I was pumping and asking people to respect my privacy. A male partner responded "Are cameras okay?"

The email was only sent after a male partner walked in, despite there being a "do not disturb" sign on my door.

I found that the only thing that worked for me was a locked door, a 'Back in 15 minutes' post-it on the outside and then ignoring the 8,000,000 people who would knock on my door despite the note (and then try to come in anyway when they didn't get a response!)

[cookies]

My boss had to pump at Citi Field. She went to the medical center and ended up pumping behind a fabric partition.

The first time I had to go to a meeting at our Philly office, I didn't know where to pump. They had me in an office with a window facing out to the hall. I was reaching a critical point where it was either pump right that second in the office or not pump for another 3 hours after the meeting. I closed the door, crouched on the floor behind the desk, pumped and prayed no one would notice and/or walk through the door.

Good luck. It will be ok!

[iheartbanjos]

I'm in outside sales and generally pumped in my car. I've pumped in public restrooms in hospitals and airports as well. My kid was taking up to 30oz at daycare, so I had to pump for 30 minutes at a time. I've pumped while driving. I've had my boss in town riding with me for the day and I've had to drop him off to hang out in lobbies or restaurants while I'm out in the car pumping. Hey, it's what we do for our kids.

[Becca]

Aug 24, 2012 10:03:54 GMT -5 cookies said:

My boss had to pump at Citi Field. She went to the medical center and ended up pumping behind a fabric partition.

The first time I had to go to a meeting at our Philly office, I didn't know where to pump. They had me in an office with a window facing out to the hall. I was reaching a critical point where it was either pump right that second in the office or not pump for another 3 hours after the meeting. I closed the door, crouched on the floor behind the desk, pumped and prayed no one would notice and/or walk through the door.

Good luck. It will be ok!

Oh my goodness - why didnt you just ask for space?

[cookies]

Aug 24, 2012 10:05:29 GMT -5 Becca said:

Aug 24, 2012 10:03:54 GMT -5 cookies said:

My boss had to pump at Citi Field. She went to the medical center and ended up pumping behind a fabric partition.

The first time I had to go to a meeting at our Philly office, I didn't know where to pump. They had me in an office with a window facing out to the hall. I was reaching a critical point where it was either pump right that second in the office or not pump for another 3 hours after the meeting. I closed the door, crouched on the floor behind the desk, pumped and prayed no one would notice and/or walk through the door.

Good luck. It will be ok!

Oh my goodness - why didnt you just ask for space?

I did, but I didn't get an answer in time to do it before my meeting. It's my own fault for not getting my ducks in a row before showing up at the office that day. I pumped in the pumping room that afternoon.

The woman I asked about where I could pump when on and on about HOW CUTE it was that I was pumping. Ha.

[nabum]

I pumped in a 3x3 closet in our trade show booth last February in NY. I have also pumped on a plane in my seat, and in a ton of airport family restrooms.

Probably the most awkward situation was flying to Seattle a few months ago. I had my pump bag with me and the gate agent gave me a hard time about having 3 carry ons. So in front of my male boss, I had to argue that it was a pump and is medical equipment that doesn't count toward my carry on allowance. Good timez.

[zarapipe]

I worked in a hotel during my pumping time. It was a very nice 4 Star hotel, but it lacked office space, and I did not have a designated office. I pumped in guest rooms as the housekeepers would clean then but before it would be released for occupancy. I still had a lot of housekeepers, management, etc try to get into the room. Not fun. It was always like musical chairs, but with rooms. I am so excited that for my next pregnancy and newborn baby phase I have an office.

[sewpinkgal]

I've pumped while driving home from dinner with friends. As in, slapped on a hands free bra, a nursing cover, turned on the pump and off I went. Not my finest moment, but it did the job.

[sewpinkgal]

I want to also say that it will be okay and you'll make it work. I'll be thinking good thoughts for you.

I guess I got desensitized to the whole pumping thing really early on - my first and only job post-grad school was in Public Health and the office was primarily female. At one point we had like 5 or 6 women all with nursing babies at home so there was always someone heading to the lactation room with a pump. It was such a non-issue that it shocked me a bit to realize that most people do not have work sites like this. It's a shame that people turn a woman that needs to pump into this big awkward situation, when it shouldn't be like that at all.

[h]

I have pumped in my car many, many times--while driving, while sitting in a parking garage, in a rental car on business trips, etc. Once I went through a drive-through while pumping because I just couldn't be bothered to stop, and I wanted food. When I needed to pump at a wedding, I just sat in our parked car to do it.

I have pumped in an airport bathroom several times, and at least one time that I can remember in the bathroom at a client's office. I have driven to the mall when out and about before just so that I could use the mother's lounge at Nordstrom to pump.

As far as keeping milk cold, I have used the standard cooler packs, stuck milk in the breakroom fridge at clients' offices, used hotel ice buckets, etc. A couple times when traveling and desperate, I ordered a styrofoam cup of ice from a fast food place, nestled a bottle of pumped milk into the ice, put the lid back on, and carried it around as though it were a Coke. You just do what you have to do.

[vegas]

I've pumped in my car, in the airport, in random people's offices, at Court. I just pump where I need to.

I have an awkward pump story that I've told here before, but I'll tell it again for fun. I have an office at work with windows in the front that lead out to the hallway. I have shades that I lower when I'm pumping so everyone knows not to bother me. One day I received a phone call from someone in my company needing emergency legal advice. She was a mom so I knew I could tell her that I'd be happy to take the call if she didn't mind that I'd be pumping during the call. I quickly rushed to set up my pump and call her back. As we were chatting I noticed a flash out of the corner of my eye and turned to see two of male co-workers walking by my office. In my haste to take the call and get set up I completely forgot to lower the shade! Here I am shirtless with a pump attached to my breasts exposing myself to the entire office. I jumped up so fast to lower the shade that the phone flew to the ground and milk went flying everywhere. It was one of the most embarrassing things to ever happen to me.

[SusanBAnthony]

One time I went on a day trip to a plant. I new there was a lactation room, as all the companies facilities had them, and my boss confirmed that another engineer definitely pumped at that site. No prob, right?

Well, that other engineer was using the pumping room, so I had to wait 30 min for her to finish, while my boss and coworkers who I drove with waited in the lobby. Omg, I was mortified. It could have been way worse, but them sitting right outside the door while I pumped, probably hearing the pump, was not fun!

I pumped at a university once when I was at a conference, and asked ahead of time to find space, and they gave me a key to this huge ballroom. So I let myself in, lock the door behind me, and pump in the ballroom. It was kind of awesome, but I was also worried some random person who had a key would walk in to give a tour or something.

[oregonpachey]

I have pumped in bathrooms, in my car many many times, in the same room as my in-laws but with a cover, in front of tons and tons of people who came to visit me in the hospital.

I ended up getting over the embarrassment quickly when I was pumping with my hand's free bra and the mail carrier came to the door and saw me in all my glory pumping away. Oh well.

[slug*bug]

Aug 24, 2012 14:37:48 GMT -5 oregonpachey said:

I have pumped in bathrooms, in my car many many times, in the same room as my in-laws but with a cover

I'm impressed! I considered myself pretty open about BFing and I'll nurse in front of, well, pretty much anyone. My FIL, though, ugh. Even the thought of pumping around him makes me squirm. I don't think I could do it.

[hilwithonelary]

I've pumped numerous times in the car. The only awkward part about it was going through toll booths. I was using a cover, and DH was driving, but it still felt weird.

[fryjack2]

I pumped at a wedding 3 weeks ago. There was no private space, so I asked the security guard to watch the door of one of the rooms that had been used for cocktail hour. He agreed after making a bunch of smart ass comments about how its not part of his job description, etc.
I was in a dress and had to pull it up to pump. Five minutes in, two guys walk in looking for a missing cuff link. There I was in my underwear and boobs getting pumped. I didn't care that they saw me, but the guys were embarrassed, and I was pissed at the security guard.

I ended up pumping in the handicap stall.

At work, the office I use can't be locked. I cover the window and put up a do not enter sign. Some people still walk right in.

[rootbeerfloat]

I have also pumped in the car many times. I've also pumped in bathrooms - not the stall, but like the counter/makeup area (b/c if a bathroom has a plug, that's often where it will be). I used a nursing cover.

I also had a to attend a weeklong training, where fortunately there were two rooms being used. Since the group would often break into halves for different activities, I was given the key for the alternate room and went in there when I had to. By the end of the week, most of the group (including the guys) learned what I was up to, which was awkward, but whatever.

[livinitup]

I've pumped in all kinds of odd places across my city for work related venues. Seems like you bring out the most friendly, hospitable part in folks when you say "Hi, I'm a nursing mom, can I have a room with a plug/outlet to pump for 10 minutes?". I've been directed to offices, board rooms and lovely spaces. As long as I had something to read, any spot worked. I also carried batteries, but I always preferred to not waste them and opted for a plug. I carried my little ice pack and holder and was good to go. Oh, and folks in hotels and conferences were completely ok when I asked to put the pack in the frig. It was always "Sure, no problem." Very no nonsense and happy to help.

[huskymom]

How long will you be gone for? Remember milk is fine at room temp for at least 10-12 hours so I've never had to keep mine cold at work. I do have an upcoming overnight trip for work though, and will have to figure out if I will have fridge access!