[kriket]

So I was watching old episodes of "the office" I'm sure you ladies remember when Creed took a picture of the ladies breast because she was pumping at her desk. Just sitting there at her desk, pumping away.
I was kind of shocked to see this because secretively, I have always wanted to just pump at my desk when I have to return after the baby is born.

It got me thinking, how do YOU ladies pump at work? Any of you just sit at your desk? We have a pumping mama in my office and she goes to the (empty) conference room. There is nothing to do in there! I guess I could bring a book or something, but I just feel like I would be bored out of my skull in there!

So, tell me your setups!

 

[Qestia]

I'm just back 1-2 days a week now and pump in a bathroom--but it's actually a really nice private bathroom with a window and sitting area. I have a cube and would not pump there! They're remodeling our building and there is no extra space... but I'm prob moving to a file room in jan. anyhoo... I have an iphone and use it to facebook or read the new york times. I guess I hear you can get/make a hands free pumping bra but I don't feel the need to get one.

 

[Alison Cole]

I do admin work in a medical office, and pump at the desk in the office that I share with another woman. However, I pull the door to so as not to be seen by the occasional patient or other stranger that might be walking by in the hallway.

 

[Baby_Cakes]

Haven't done it yet (I go back to work next month) but AFAIK I'm going to be able to use the sales office when the sales manager isn't there. The door closes and locks, and I'll have access to a computer so I could possibly get work done. If she is there, then I'm probably going to have to use the conference room. I have to bug them to put a lock on that door. I wouldn't want to be sitting there pumping and have someone barge in on me.

I'd be fine with it but I'm sure they'd be so embarrassed.

 

[2lilsweetfoxes]

I won't be pumping at work until next summer, but (unless they move me to another unit) I have an office which I share with someone else (a guy). The door does close and lock, though. I plan to kick him out a couple times a day--we will have it planned in advance for our schedule--and pump.

 

[New_Natural_Mom]

I just use an empty office 3x a day. I read parenting books or trashy novels

Once the fire allarm went off while I was pumping...that was interesting

 

[Marnica]

I pump in a spare empty office. i bring books or something to read and the time flies by. I remember once i got so wrapped up my my reading I didn't notice the bottle was full and it started spurting all over me. When Icame out it looked like I had wet my pants!

 

[NormaJean13]

I pump in the gym bathroom (absolutely the only place at my office) because my office doesn't have a door, and even if it did I cannot pump unless the door locks (major mental hangup). I take in my cell phone and play games while I pump - it's easy to prop up the horn and hold the phone in the same hand.

This also allows me to look at pics of my LO on my phone and videos too.

 

[BrookEllen]

I'm going back January 2nd and have to work out a pumping plan with my boss still. I work in a public library so there are very few private spaces. My department has a storage room with a table, chair, and a lock on the door filled with dusty old government documents. I'll probably bring celebrity magazines in with me or I'm stuck reading transportation safety reports from the 80's. I just don't think I could focus enough for a real novel.

I am worried about the let-down though. When I pump now for the freezer stash dd is always nearby. Hopefully it'll work in the dusty storage room with just a picture!

 

[_betsy_]

I have a Lactation Room three floors away. It's quiet, the door locks, there's a mini fridge and a couch, table and chairs in there. I read parenting mags, listen to the radio I put in there, whatever. It just stinks that it's so far away, but it's nice that it's provided.

 

[JerseyJen]

When I am at my office, I get to use an empty office.
Being a techie I also spend a lot of time at our remote data centers.
There is nowhere to pump but the bathrooms there and I refuse to sit on the floor of the bathroom, especially when the cleanliness is as lacking as it is in at least one of these locations. So, here I just pump at the desk in my server cage with a sweater or jacket draped over my front. We're not supposed to have liquids back there, but if anyone has a problems with it, they can provide me with a more inviting place to express milk.

 

[thetnpreacherswife]

When I am at the office I pump in my office (we're all women) with the door open and talking to my colleagues.
My job requires me to be on the road several times a week (doing family counseling in homes) and at those times I just pump in the car (using the car adapter). And when I am in school I pump in my car.
This is what I've found works for me!

 

[MamaChicken]

We have 2 lacation rooms (in a building of 200 people) and they are often occupied. There are 4 of us in the building pumping at the present time, but there have been as many as 6 pumping moms. If both rooms are occupied, I go to one of the mini-conference rooms. There are no locks on the doors, but I sit with my back to the door and so far no one has walked in on me.

 

[rivkah]

I haven't done it yet, but I will pump in my office. It doesn't lock, but I work in a small enough office that eveyone will know that when my door is shut, they shouldn't walk in.

I am a little hung up on storing milk in the fridge though. Reportedly, in the past, it has creeped some people out. Not sure why--peole put the expressed milk of a cow in there, after all.

 

[kriket]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivkah I am a little hung up on storing milk in the fridge though. Reportedly, in the past, it has creeped some people out. Not sure why--peole put the expressed milk of a cow in there, after all.

I think some of the pumps have little cooling bags. I would just sit mine in there and let people be creeped out.

 

[Sarah W]

They set up an office for me to use. I mostly work at night, so I don't have any problem.

There's no way I could pump at my desk. I work on an open floor where there are no partitions with me seated in the middle. I wouldn't want to anyway. I like the quiet and chance to read.

 

[BlueIrises]

I'm actually pumping right now...I'm a teacher and have my own classroom. I pump while they are at special. I sit in front of my computer or else I would be so bored. I do hands-free using the ponytail loops that is suggested on kellymom.com. Don't waste your money on a HF bra.

As for storage, i use the little lunch box that came with ym Medela pump...I put the pottles in there...sometimes I put the lunch box in my GF fridge across the hall, other times, if i forget, I just let it sit in my room until I get home...BM can be at room temp for up to 10 hours, so 4 hours w/o refrigeration is okay.

 

[songbird45]

how often do you need to pump? (and how long is a typical session?) If everything goes according to plan, I'll have the baby in an on-site day care, and I wonder if I could just use my two 15 minute breaks a day & 30 min lunch to nurse instead of pumping.

 

[Twinklefae]

I used the director's office to pump when I went back to work part time. It was nice, as she was generally in there too and we would chat. I only pumped once a day, it was all I could manage. (My LO was over a year when I was working, so pumping was way harder than when he was littler)

 

[rrs]

When I pumped at school, I asked student health services if they had anywhere that I could pump. They found me an empty exam office, with a sink (and hot water - such an improvement over the bathrooms in the Math and Physics building!)

They brought me a chair, and I was a happy camper (er, pumper).

They had no place for storing my pump or expressed milk. I wrote a nice thank you letter and asked that they consider making these things available.