I'm not really sure at this point. My work is very flexible in hindsight, so I would think a 20 minute break twice a day plus lunch shouldn't be a problem. If we're busy, then I should be able to do at least once break and then pump on lunch.

I work in an office with ALL men expect for one lady who is our PT accountant.

It's gonna be interesting overall.

 

I never asked, but just use my breaks to pump and lunchtime to nurse. I eat at my desk while I'm working. They are sticklers for time at my work (we use a time clock), so I would be prepared to work an extra 15-30 minutes if I had to add extra pumping times.

 

My employer is very, very flexible about us taking breaks and no one has ever said anything to me about when or how long I'm allowed to take to pump.

Does this arrangement work for you (at least, for the time being?) Do you need to pump more than once? Will you have time to eat before or after pumping?

If it didn't work for me, I'd be letting my boss know that, along with what I ideally need and what I'm willing to do (ie, work through lunch, or leave 15 minutes later or whatever) to make it work for both my employer and me.

 

WHere do you live? In Mass all employees are legally entitled to 2 15 miuntes breaks a day. As an exec I never use them but I had that in my back pocket when my company started giving me hard time about pumping.....

 

Thanks for all the replies...

I'm in NJ, and there is no state law that allows breastfeeding mothers to anything other than the right to not be turned away when nursing in public. Everything else? No rights. (I even called a local LLL leader on my way home from work tonight and she said pretty much the same thing)

I work 9-5 but we get an hour paid lunch so technically I work 7 hours a day. We never take breaks, though if we did, I believe it's one 15min break for every 4 hours of work... which would only give me one 15min break.

I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. They're pretty easy going at my place, but there are some big changes being made and I fear that between those changes and a new office building in the near future, I might have to fight for some time, even to rearrange my lunch so that I can break it up into two separate 30min time periods. It would TOTALLY SUCK if I never got any time for myself to leave the building during the day, but I don't think I'd have any other choice if they're willing to work with me on letting me take my lunch when I need to...

*sigh*... men have no clue what it is to be a wife, mother, and a woman in general... and yet my work work world is 98% men, and the two other women there are resentful about my having taken ANY time to pump at all.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that something good will happen with all of it and I'll have all the time in the world that I need, when I need it...

Thanks for the replies

 

I'm sorry, mama, that sounds so frustrating. I feel like I remember that we were entitled to a 1/2 hour lunch and 2 15 minute breaks - could you make that work for you?

I'm very, very lucky - my workplace is very supportive & flexible, we even have a room set up just for pumping, with a special pumping chair, magazines, refrigerator, etc.

I don't know if you could do this, but I would just take my laptop into the pumping room with me. Once my milk started flowing, I would just pop open my computer and work while I pumped!

 

I'm very lucky that my employer is very flexible. I pump 3 times a day and 2 of those pumping sessions I just quickly pop away from my work. My third session is during my 30 minute mandatory lunch break. I figure that since I have to be off the clock anyway, I may as well pump that one extra time while I eat my lunch.

I work for a smaller company though, and right now I am the only person that is pumping.

 

I eat while I work. Generally I am entitled to a 30 min lunch... I work a 13 hour shift so I pump 4 or 5 times a day (15-20 mintues) so I'm way over anyways.
I'm in NM where by law pumping is protected... but they don't have to pay you while you pump. I think my breaks are mostly unnoticed but I don't want to push my luck and end up being short 2hrs a day to pump and have a lunch break.

 

Not currently with little ones, but when I was pumping, I did have to use my lunch break and my regular 15 minute breaks. Never considered asking for other time besides- how I use my break is up to me.