Breastfeeding moms who work on busy units

Nurses General Nursing

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So...I'm not even pregnant yet. But I want to be someday relatively soon. I want to breastfeed. I work in an ICU where I almost always get a 30 minute lunch break (time is very unpredictable though) but often don't get any other breaks beyond that. If I wanted to pump breastmilk, I guess I'd just have to quit my job. Right? What have other women in this situation done?

It can be done, with some good time management and empty rooms. ;)

You loose some of your modesty after having a baby. I would pump in tub rooms, behind curtains of empty beds. (bonus if the TV is on!) and in the NM office. Of course I'd have to tell my co workers where I was and don't come in.

Also, you can hands free pump while you eat lunch. If your have a nursing bra with the little hooks in the cups, you can loop rubber bands through the hooks and they'll hold your flanges.

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It can be done, with some good time management and empty rooms. ;)

You loose some of your modesty after having a baby. I would pump in tub rooms, behind curtains of empty beds. (bonus if the TV is on!) and in the NM office. Of course I'd have to tell my co workers where I was and don't come in.

:rotfl:

One day it was busy and OB was full so I went into an empty ER room. My partner that day was a man. Here I am stripped to the waist, pump machine whirring, and I hear the door open, a quiet, "Oh s***!.........I'm sorry!!" He said as soon as he heard the pump he remembered the room was already occupied!

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hehe, tazzi.

Thanks everyone. I'm feeling a little better about it now. I was feeling like I was literally going to have to quit my job over this one day.

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
Like I said, I had terrific coworkers. If it was too busy for me to leave then I called the house supe to relieve me long enough. If she couldn't do it she found a nurse to help. If that didn't work my manager would come in to cover me. There was always someone around who could cover me for 20 minutes.

As much as I think women should breastfeed if they choose (when returning to work) I think too many breastfeeding moms get special treatment: more breaks, longer breaks, coverage by the manager or another nurse that would be given to any of her co-workers. That, to me, is not right. If you cannot carry your load without special treatment, then perhaps coming back to work while you are breastfeeding is not the best plan.

In an office where things can be put on hold, I guess it's no big deal, but on almost any nursing unit, things cannot be put on hold and to expect your co-workers to give you a break when they probably aren't going to get one just doesn't sit well with me.

I'm sure there are those who will disagree vehemently but that's okay. We 're all entitled to our opinions. And I for one resent people who are able to take advantange of a personal situation which has nothing to do with work when other personal situations would never be treated the same way.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

At our hospital we have rooms for staff to use and pumps. They can talk to one of our lactation girls and they will get them the pump kits for the Medelas.

In our unit we always make sure we help out if someone needs to go pump, and I know in the other areas they do too. There are times you can't go when you need to, but go as soon as you can and you'll do okay.

If we had longer than 12 weeks leave then it wouldn't be an issue. We need to by like many of the other countries that give 6mo to a year off, with pay!

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Here in California, you must get your breaks.

I definitely used the double pump system . . . .faster.

I pumped in a spare room off our l&d area.

I breastfed for 3 1/2 years.

steph

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I understand the resentment towards breastfeeding moms, but if breastfeeding is recommended for the first year of life, and most of us cannot afford to stay out of work for a year, what would you propose as an alternative?

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
I understand the resentment towards breastfeeding moms, but if breastfeeding is recommended for the first year of life, and most of us cannot afford to stay out of work for a year, what would you propose as an alternative?

I suppose there is no real clear answer to that. My personal feeling is that it's a recommendation, not a requirement and therefore the choice should go back to the mom. However, expecting others to take up the slack for something that is your choice just isn't right either.

Neither is paying for a year off after childbirth. That's a government handout in those countries where tax rates are 50% or more. Again, many who do not have and may never have children are paying those bills. Not right.

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.
As much as I think women should breastfeed if they choose (when returning to work) I think too many breastfeeding moms get special treatment: more breaks, longer breaks, coverage by the manager or another nurse that would be given to any of her co-workers. That, to me, is not right. If you cannot carry your load without special treatment, then perhaps coming back to work while you are breastfeeding is not the best plan.

In an office where things can be put on hold, I guess it's no big deal, but on almost any nursing unit, things cannot be put on hold and to expect your co-workers to give you a break when they probably aren't going to get one just doesn't sit well with me.

I'm sure there are those who will disagree vehemently but that's okay. We 're all entitled to our opinions. And I for one resent people who are able to take advantange of a personal situation which has nothing to do with work when other personal situations would never be treated the same way.

What about people who smoke? They very rarely, if ever, seem to miss their smoke breaks. In nursing units there are things that can be put on hold for 15 min a few times a shift. Pump time does not always equal break time and some people just can't seem to wrap their heads around that. I use my pumping time to work on my notes; which by the way is part of my job. In other words, I have to do it whether or not I pump. Is that "taking advantage" because I'm able to multi-task? Just because people choose to be martyrs and go 12 hours without a break, does not mean the rest of us have to as well. If that's how you think people should be treated by their co-workers, I hope the same treatment is extended to you. I hope you don't have to go to the bathroom and expect others to cover for you. By your standards it would be "taking advantage."

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I have never "expected" others to take up the slack for me if it was too busy for me to pump. I was rarely put in the position of having to skip a pump session, and my coworkers never had a problem giving me the time. If I lost track of time they would shoo me off, telling me "It's pump time, go!" The only person who had a negative reaction to my desire to pump was the manager I had before I delivered. Even the men I worked with made sure I got that time.

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And you're right that breastfeeding is "just" a recommendation, but if we are able to provide optimum food for our babies in that most important first year, why should we be denied that opportunity just because we cannot afford to stay home from work?

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

Like I said, there's no clearcut solution. On our unit we have had one nurse abuse the pumping thing. My goodness, she was still taking two pump breaks when her kid was 5! He also would just open up her shirt during staff meetings to help himself! The smokers are just as bad, and should not get breaks if others don't. I just don't feel obligated to work extra so that somone else can breastfeed. If nurses on your units always get their break times, and if some choose to pump during those breaks, I think that's great. But if there's only enough coverage for the pumpers to get breaks, then it's not right.

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