Breastfeeding moms who work on busy units

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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?

Not the breastmilk. Just the hospital in general. Who knows what is crawling on those flanges after they were left sitting out in that environment? Eeeew! I usally wipe off the table I use with the sanitizer wipes and keep my stuff in the tote that came with the pump. At least the germs inside of it are my own. I keep the pumped milk in the inside tote with the freezer packs. I've found it easier to just have everything in one place. If I put the milk in the fridge I would probably wind up forgetting it.

Very good point . . . . .I cringe when I see patients family members let their toddlers crawl on the floor.

steph

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Where I work they have actually set up a room for our breastfeeding mom's who pump, even make available a very powerful double pump to use ( if you don't have one available), you just have to bring your own tubing, flanges and bottles. I love that they do that for the employees. There is even a policy written about making time for breastfeeding mothers so they can pump. They highly promote breastfeeding! Of course I currently work for our county public health department. When I nursed my children and went back to work I was working in the hospital, so it was a little trickier pumping, but I put my foot down and insiste on my right to pump and for the most part it worked out well. My daughter I nursed for 18 months and my son 3 1/2.

Anyway kudos to you for continuing to breastfeed upon returning to work any length of time is better than none.

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Where I work they have actually set up a room for our breastfeeding mom's who pump, even make available a very powerful double pump to use ( if you don't have one available), you just have to bring your own tubing, flanges and bottles. I love that they do that for the employees. There is even a policy written about making time for breastfeeding mothers so they can pump. They highly promote breastfeeding! Of course I currently work for our county public health department. When I nursed my children and went back to work I was working in the hospital, so it was a little trickier pumping, but I put my foot down and insiste on my right to pump and for the most part it worked out well. My daughter I nursed for 18 months and my son 3 1/2.

Anyway kudos to you for continuing to breastfeed upon returning to work any length of time is better than none.

Hi - long time, no see. ;)

steph

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