The pump. Men, you might want to stop reading here.
Every working/nursing mom I know has a love-hate relationship with their pump. We love that it’s possible to still breast feed our children even though we have to be at work. We hate the actual pumping. It’s not just the pumping, it’s the disruption of the work day, the difficulty of finding a place to pump, trying to keep the milk cold, pouring it into those tiny little freezer bags once you get home without spilling a drop and washing all the equipment every night. It’s the worry that you might not be pumping enough, that you won’t be able to replace everything your child eats. It’s the fear that you and the little munchkin might get off schedule and you’ll have just pumped and he’ll need to eat when you get home and you won’t have anything left.
This is the third time I am doing this. I have pumped in many other people’s offices since I have never had my own (still don’t). I have pumped in OR locker rooms and ophthalmology exam rooms. This time I get to pump most of the time in a bathroom. Yes, a bathroom. It’s literally the only place I can go and lock the door in the entire office.
I want my son to have the benefits of breast milk. It’s economical to pump since we don’t have to buy formula. I love that I can still nurse him when we are home together. It’s just all the logistics that are daunting.
As with the other kids, I’ll do this as long as I can. I know it will get harder and harder. Eventually the milk supply will start slowing down and I’ll start beating myself up about it and the stress of pumping will outweigh the benefits of continuing to breastfeed. Until then you can find me in the bathroom every three hours.
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