Breast pumping in an ICU

RED1984, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 19, 2014

If she had a baby to feed... What's the big deal? Get Dr's OK and get a pump. Seriously?

RED1984, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 19, 2014

Unless you're talking about the ER nurse? If she needed to pump to feed her baby then let her. What's the big deal?

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 30, 2010. (See the combined full text of Public Laws 111-148 and 111-152 here.) Among many provisions, Section 4207 of the law amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 (29 U.S. Code 207) to require an employer to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child's birth each time such employee has need to express milk. The employer is not required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time for any work time spent for such purpose. The employer must also provide a place, other than a bathroom, for the employee to express breast milk. If these requirements impose undue hardship, an employer that employs fewer than 50 employees is not subject to these requirements. The federal requirements shall not preempt a state law that provides greater protections to employees.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

I am not sure why your co-workers found it funny or sad that a breast feeding mother needed to pump. Was she asking for a breast pump?

I breast fed both of my children and I would pump at work. I worked the ED and an ICU.

I do find it odd why she couldn't just go home, pump and return for her visit at another time for you don't HAVE to pump on time every single time.

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

Does what all the time? I'm failing to see what's wrong here.

ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

I don ' t understand why a visitor, who says she is a nurse no less , would trouble the ICU staff with her personal needs.

What's next supplying portable oxygen and narc drugs to visitors?

Maybe you could move this to another forum. It's not funny.

ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

I would like to respectfully ask what is a reasonable number of breastfeeding breaks in a 12 hr shift?

We have nursing mothers who are always present and the ones who are always disappearing for up to an hour without reporting off to anyone.

How do you handle this in your facilities. Thank you.

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

I don ' t understand why a visitor, who says she is a nurse no less , would trouble the ICU staff with her personal needs.
What's next supplying portable oxygen and narc drugs to visitors?
Maybe you could move this to another forum. It's not funny.

It didn't sound like she was troubling staff, so much as asking if it were okay to pump in her mother's room, as opposed to say, going into a bathroom or other available private space. (I have a huge problem with women being told to pump/feed babies in a lav, BTW) That's what I was trying to clarify in my earlier post. Did she ask for equipment? If so, then yes, that's troubling staff (who keeps a pump on adult MICU/SICU anyway?) and I'd totally agree with your post. Just not sure if I read OP correctly.

ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

She's a visitor not an employee so is the hospital under any kind of obligation to provide a breast pump and a private space?

It is totally inappropriate for a visitor to bother an ICU nurse with this.

Another bite your tongue moment: I am busy very busy can't you see that? You're a nurse, really? You should know we're here to take care of your mom not you.

What's next serving steaks and martinis to visitors?

I would send her down to the guest services/concierge (yes we really have that) because I feel hospitals should provide a clean private place and no i am NOT storing your breast milk in our refrigerator.

AmyRN303, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

She's a visitor not an employee so is the hospital under any kind of obligation to provide a private space?
It is totally inappropriate for a visitor to bother an ICU nurse with this.
Another bite your tongue moment: I am busy very busy can't you see that? You're a nurse, really? You should know we're here to take care of your mom not you.
What's next serving steaks and martinis to visitors?
I would send her down to the guest services/concierge (yes we really have that) because I feel hospitals should provide a clean private place and no i am NOT storing your breast milk in our refrigerator.

I still don't read anything in the OP that she requested anything of the nurse which would make her think she wants to be taken care of. Totally agree with you that if she is, then that's beyond reasonable accommodation. And the comment about her "doing it all the time in the ER" is what befuddles me. Okay, your mom is in ICU, you want to pump in her room.....but does that mean she pumps in rooms with patients in the ED?

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2014

I would be very tempted to ask the nurse/visitor if a relative can use her breast pump in the ED bays.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Jun 19, 2014

We advise our NICU moms to pump at least every 2-3 hours. It takes that schedule to maintain a supply if they don't have the natural stimulation of infant mouth to nipple (sorry if that's too graphic for some). We encourage pumping at the bedside, even in the presence of infections.

If this visitor was asking for a pump, that's overly imposing. I believe she was just asking the OP as a way of keeping from upsetting or shocking the ICU nurse. Obviously from the reaction, there is a basis for this concern.

Some of our moms see dramatic drops in their supply when they skip just one or two pumpings. Also, some of our high milk volume moms state that their breasts become very uncomfortable, heavy, and leak when they need to pump.

One if our NICU nurses also works in the ER (and is currently pumping/breastfeeding). She understands most of her coworkers have insufficient knowledge about these issues and is working on an educational poster for the ER about breastfeeding issues that commonly present to the ER.

I honestly knew next to nothing about human lactation prior to my NICU time.