[dsaucone]

I had an extremely rough day at work today. I'm a CNA. We're having a really hard time with our staff turnover rate. We've been working short for a while now.

Right after breakfast is usually our break time. I normally take the 15 minutes to go pump. DS has been taking more milk and at this point I'm just keeping up with him (aka no freezer stash). I've been trying to make sure I get that morning pump session in. This morning I had NO TIME to take a break. One bell after another, and by the time I have a chance to catch my breath there is an hour until my lunch and no point in taking a break. Should I have left people wanting to use the bathroom in order to pump? It's my right, isn't it? Or is that neglectful?

Another thing we've been talking about is mandation. I guess after the 1st of next year we can no longer be mandated. However, if we leave and there is nobody to take our spot it's neglect.

(I really need a :bash my head against the wall: here) We only have 1 vehicle so driving my kid out to nurse isn't even an option. I'm working on the freezer stash, but pumping is harder than it looks! So what am I to do? At this point I would have to leave. And there would be the possibility of my job going bye bye.

Sorry for the long post. I'm curious to know what others would do in this situation.

 

[akayerich]

hi, i'm a nurse who's also pumping at work, and wow, it can be difficult to find time sometimes!
have you talked to your supervisor about your concerns yet? it seems like even with staffing issues, there should still always be someone else to answer your lights so you can take a few minutes to pump. i mean, people need breaks even if not pumping just to keep from burning out. especially when you're doing a lot of physical labor like i know CNA's usually do.
i'm not sure what your work situation is. are your patients/residents pretty reasonable? can you just explain to them what you need to do and why, and ask them if they can wait 15 minutes to pee? i mean, sometimes people really can wait 15 minutes if they know you're coming back.
other than that, i don't really have any good suggestions, just

 

[dsaucone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akayerich hi, i'm a nurse who's also pumping at work, and wow, it can be difficult to find time sometimes! have you talked to your supervisor about your concerns yet? it seems like even with staffing issues, there should still always be someone else to answer your lights so you can take a few minutes to pump. i mean, people need breaks even if not pumping just to keep from burning out. especially when you're doing a lot of physical labor like i know CNA's usually do. i'm not sure what your work situation is. are your patients/residents pretty reasonable? can you just explain to them what you need to do and why, and ask them if they can wait 15 minutes to pee? i mean, sometimes people really can wait 15 minutes if they know you're coming back. other than that, i don't really have any good suggestions, just

As far as residents go: some are, some aren't. If I work my day the right way then all goes well, but how often does that happen, haha. There are over 40 beds on our avenue and during breaks there are sometimes only 2 aides available. And the nurses are so busy passing meds that it's really not an option (plus some of them just won't toliet unless specifically asked by the nurse manager).

I suppose in the future people are going to have to wait. My baby getting mommy milk is more important.

Thanks for the

! When I tell people I'm pumping I get this look like "people REALLY do that?" Even in health care facilities where it's recommended.

 

[UptownZoo]

Have you looked into DOL regs? Your employer might be required to give you that break.

 

[akayerich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsaucone There are over 40 beds on our avenue and during breaks there are sometimes only 2 aides available. And the nurses are so busy passing meds that it's really not an option (plus some of them just won't toliet unless specifically asked by the nurse manager).

sigh.... seems like its the same story no matter where you work in healthcare- too many patients for not enough staff, and not enough teamwork.

maybe if you just start taking your breaks, and the upper management gets enough complaints, the nurses, nurse managers and even (gasp!) the DON may have to start answering some of the lights.

seriously, though, you really should be entitled to a couple of breaks, whether you're pumping or not. i'd do what the pp said, and check the labor laws.

 

[Ruthla]

Also, if you're down to "only an hour til lunch break, no point in taking a break now"- I think you should go ahead and take the pumping break anyway. Completely skipping a pumping session can mess up your supply.

Also, are you doing any pumping at home or only at work? If you're not already, I'd suggest pumping once a day at home, even on your days off. This gives you a little extra milk to work with, plus gets your body used to making a bit more milk than the baby needs each day.

Also remember that if you're pumping all you can, and still need to supplement with a little bit of formula some days, it's not the end of the world.

 

[dsaucone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by UptownZoo Have you looked into DOL regs? Your employer might be required to give you that break.

I'm entitled to 10 minutes after 4 hours of work, pumping or not.

I guess this is more of an ethical situation. I can't, in good conscious tell people they're just going to have to wait. I always think of what if that were my mom, dad, or grandparent. Some people can do it to smoke, but I find a hard time doing it even for my baby.

 

[dsaucone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruthla Also, if you're down to "only an hour til lunch break, no point in taking a break now"- I think you should go ahead and take the pumping break anyway. Completely skipping a pumping session can mess up your supply. Also, are you doing any pumping at home or only at work? If you're not already, I'd suggest pumping once a day at home, even on your days off. This gives you a little extra milk to work with, plus gets your body used to making a bit more milk than the baby needs each day. Also remember that if you're pumping all you can, and still need to supplement with a little bit of formula some days, it's not the end of the world.

Alright, good to know about the hour intervals. I might just have to take my pump breaks a little later and switch with someone for a later lunch on days like that.

I pump right before I leave in the morning. If he gets a bottle at 2 then I'll pump when I get home at 3:30. Otherwise I'll just feed him after taking a shower.

We don't own formula and it would be a huge blow to all this

pumping to "give in". It's just the way I feel about it. I would quit my job and have DH go back to working full time in order to assure that DS was getting only breast milk. I'm just some crazy milking nazi.