Pumping and working as RN

I had a baby in between semesters, and started clinicals when he was 3 weeks old. I worked in 3 different units at 2 different hospitals during the time I was pumping and some were better than others.

First unit was GREAT. The RNs knew I was pumping and went out of their way to cover me and make time for pumping. Even asking me when the last time was and encouraging me to take a break if it had been a while. SO nice!

Second unit was not encouraging. I was only able to pump on my 15 minute breaks and lunch. The pump room was a 5 min walk, so I had 5 mins to pump before I had to start back. Not reasonable. I pumped at lunch while I ate and that was it, my supply took a BIG hit.

Third was, sadly, on a mom/baby and OB rotation. The situation was about the same as the second place. But what irked me the most was the "pump room" was actually a storage closet stuffed full of wheelchairs and scales, etc. There was no lock on the door so you had to handwrite a sign and tape it to the door that you were pumping and please don't disturb. Nice. The message was pretty clear, pumping was not very supported!

So I guess it depends on the unit you are on and also the facility. It can be done, but it might be hard. Hopefully you'll have a very supportive team and can make it work. Good luck!

Hi, I work on a med-surg floor and somehow, in the last year, half of us have had a baby. So I usually work shifts where we all pump every few hours. Its not really a problem, you just try to fit it into your routine. I heard somewhere that its the law that you are aloud pumping breaks- not sure if that is state or federal. Besides, where I work, somehow smokers fit their breaks in no matter what.

Graduate nurse here - so I'm not actually working as an RN, but i did juggle nursing school and nursing a little one. I pump in my car on the way to school and then right before class. This is what i do at work too. That way i have a good 3 hours before i need to take a break. Nothing worse than getting to work and then telling co-workers you need to pump.

I think it will largely depend on where you work. At clinical i was able to pump in the NM's office and no one seemed to have a problem with it. I personally chose to have my kids while i was in school - it was hectic but i imagine it would have been harder to have a newborn and be working 40 hours a week. It'll be easier for me to start working full time with my now 7 month old.

Do whats right for you - but either way it'll work out! If anyone gives you crap remember that there are many nurses taking 15 min smoke breaks several times a shift, i think pumping for your baby should be OK. =)

I've nursed and pumped for 5 babies and it is doable, even if the place you work isn't so friendly toward pumpers. What I did was pump more at home if I couldn't get enough at work. Your supply will regulate itself. During the day, I would pump on my lunch break. I would pump before I left for work, after I clocked out, and at least a couple of times when I got home. I was blessed with a lot of milk, so I always had an abundance for the baby. If you need to, pump as often as you can when at home to build up your supply. Good luck! :)

I nursed all three of my kids for over a year and I worked 2-4 days a week, 8-12 hours at a whack. I started pumping the week I brought the baby home and in just a short while I had more milk than you could believe. I drank a LOT of water to keep my supply up too. At the time I worked in NICU, so I took my own equipment and used their Medela pump a few times per shift. I kept the milk in a small cooler and froze it when I got home. We had nurses come from all over the hospital to use one of our breast pumps--it doesn't take all that long once your breasts get into the rhythm. I got so I could empty both breasts manually(no pump) in the time it takes other nurses to smoke a cigarette! Pumping was totally a non-problem for me.

I used to work weekend nights in the ED, so more times than not I did find time to pump at least once during the shift, if not twice. However, there were those shifts where I would go all night without pumping and they stunk (talk about engorgement!).

What worked for me was nursing right before I left for work ~ 6pm, then pumping around 12-1am, and then again around 4-5am if I was lucky. Usually, I would nurse my child as soon as I got home from work, because I was so full.

I must say although it was difficult at times, I was able to nurse my 1st for 17 mos and then my second for over two years. By about 1 year and a half, I was able to cut out the pumping since they were typically sleeping through the night at that point.

You should try to invest in a good pump such as a Medela Pump-in-Style or borrow a hospital-grade one from the L&D unit. I found that a good pump could make all the difference with getting those precious ounces!

I'm going back to work in a couple of weeks and I'm wondering how working 12 hour shifts and pumping is going to work out. This hospital doesn't have L&D, and it's also a brand new job for me. I'm kind of nervous about asking the nurse manager about allowing for time to pump because this is a new job, and the nurse manager is a guy. Anyone know if there is indeed a federal (or state...I'm in FL) law that mandates nursing mothers be allowed time to pump while working?

I am pumping right now. I have to pump three or four times a shift. It can be hard to find the time, but I do it. Luckily it only takes me about five minutes and I use the (unused) tub room that has a sink in it, so clean up is easy. It gets very hard when floating, though.

I found the other day that Obamas Health Care Reform Bill actually has a breast pumping portion to it. Stating that they must give you unpaid breaks and clean place to pump. There are also law that vary by state.

I nursed my twins for one year. Pumped at work-worked 3-11 and pumped or fed babies prior to work and then pumped once in the middle of my shift-~6-8PM and then pumped when I got home after shift.

There were pumping rooms-I also ate my lunch when I was 'hooked up'. Not sure how 12 hour days would work-did not do that until after I was done breastfeeding.

otessa

If your hospital has an OB floor, you can see about going there to pump. I work in OB, and we have 2-3 nurses from other units that use our pumping room. Some bring their own pumps, and some use the Symphonys we have on the floor for the mothers.

I pumped until 15 months with my last baby. I worked 12s. Pumping was VERY important to me, as I dealt with insufficient milk syndrome during our entire nursing relationship (not due to pumping or going back to work). I worked nights at the time. If things were kind of slow, I was able to get 4 pumping sessions in. Usually I'd get in three. Once in a while things were crazy and I was only able to pump once, but I could count on one hand the number of times that happened.

Good luck to you, where there's a will, there's a way.