I hate pumping.  That’s the truth.  Even the sound of the pump reminds me of just how much I feel like a milk-cow when I’m hooked up to that contraption. 

With my older son I went back to teaching part time after just six weeks off.  Every day I pumped at work and carefully toted bottles of milk home to be stored for future use.  It was tough during my workday to sprint down to the small pumping room, relax enough to be able to produce milk, and rush back to class all within ten minutes. 

It was especially heartbreaking when anything happened to those precious bottles of white gold we call breast milk. One day after hand pumping for an hour while trying to do paperwork, I was thrilled to have produced six ounces of breast milk.  I carefully screwed the lid on the bottle, not realizing that the milk would leak through the nipple.  When I arrived home, the bottle had tumbled onto its side, the floor of my car was covered with breast milk and the bottle was nearly empty.  I cried and seriously considered throwing myself on the floor for a full blown hysterical fit. 

This reaction sounds a bit extreme now—even to me.  But we can’t underestimate how much sleep deprivation adds to the challenge of working, pumping, and motherhood. 

Now with my second child, I’ll have a good two and a half months home before I’m ever back to work.  When I do go back, my husband will be able to bring the baby in so that I can breastfeed at least a few days a week.  Plus, I’ve arranged to take one day per week off so that I can spread my leave over a longer period of time.  I’ll work two days, take a day off, and then work two more days to complete the week.   For more on creatively arranging your work schedule with baby, tune into next week’s post.

Still, I’ll have to pump.  I’m hoping I can do more of it over the summer and stock up, but I’ll inevitably have to pump at work too.  This time I’m thinking about bringing a picture of my baby, a bunch of dried lavender, or something else homey into that horrid little room to make it a bit friendlier.  I’ll also be more versed in milk storage and hopefully more relaxed about the whole ordeal.   Do you have any other tips on making pumping a bit better?  How have you handled the challenges of pumping at work?  Thanks for your advice!