Breast milk is very important for the growth of kids. It has all the nutritional benefits and immunity that your baby needs to grow and develop. It is the reason why health experts recommend that mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies for 6 months.
Therefore if you are going back to work after maternity leave you may need to be pumping at the work- place. You need a clean, safe and private area to pump in . Some options for you include the lactating room, your office, an empty office room, your car, the office kitchen, bathroom or the changing room.
Most Ideal & Practical Pumping Spots in the Office
1. Office Lactation Room
Mom-friendly workplaces have a lactating room for breastfeeding moms. It is used for pumping purposes and breastfeeding babies for moms with babies at work. It offers total privacy and no distraction from intrusive colleagues.
It is also the most ideal and convenient pumping spot because it has all necessities a pumping mom will need. An ideal lactating room should have a power outlet for powering the pump, a refrigerator for storing the milk, a comfortable chair to sit while pumping, a sink for hygiene and cleaning, and a cabinet for storage among others.
All these features, its privacy, and convenience make a lactating room the ideal pumping spot for working moms at the workplace.
Read: Overcoming Challenges of Pumping at Work
2. Your Office is an Optional Pumping Spot
Not all employers have the space and resources to offer a lactating room for their mom employees. If your workplace does not have a lactating room, you can still find others spots within the workplace for which to pump in. Another popular pumping spot at the workplace you can use is the office.
The office is as ideal as a lactating room as there is a power outlet, desk, and comfortable seat. In addition, you can have total privacy by locking yourself or indicating on the door not to be disturbed. You only need to figure out how to get your bottles and tools clean and how to keep your milk cold before you can get home.
However the office works best as a pumping spot if the office is your own. It ensures you are not inconveniencing anyone while you need to pump. But even if you share the office, you can still request your colleague to excuse you for some time to allow you to pump.
In addition, it does not need to be necessarily an office that you work in. It can be your colleague’s office which you can borrow to your convenience for pumping. You only need to communicate your needs and your colleagues will be more than willing to help.
3. An Empty Room at Work Can be a Pumping Spot
If your workplace does not have a lactating room and there is no office at your disposal, you can try other options such as an empty unused room. However the room should have enough privacy and low distraction.
You also need a room with a power outlet for connecting your pump and a chair for sitting. Just like in the office you need to figure out how to get your bottles and tools clean and how to keep your milk cold before you can get home.
There may not be many options in this but a sure bet would be your board room or the room used to hold meetings. There is a high unlikelihood that there will be meetings running all-round the clock all week long. You are bound to find some hours each day when the room is empty.
4. You Can Use your Car to Pump
Next to the office and empty room is your car. If you cannot get the space to pump in at the office, you can use your car. A car is an ideal pumping spot as you have absolute privacy and convenience you need to feel comfortable for pumping. Alone in the parking lot, you can comfortably pump at ease with no distraction.
However, you need to figure out your pump powering option. You can either use a battery-powered pump or use a pump powered by the car system. In addition, you still need to have a cold option for storing the pumped milk. Also, you need to sanitize and keep the bottle and pumping tools clean.
Read: Making Pumping while Driving Easy
5. Pump from the Office Kitchen
Some pumping spots may not be ideal for pumping but still helpful when one does not have other options. Most workplaces have kitchens where the staff drinks and meals are prepared from. It can be used as a pumping spot because it has a power outlet, a fridge, and seats among others.
However, the use of the kitchen as pumping is limited to only when no other person is using the kitchen. Its usability as a pumping spot hence depends on the number of people at the office who use the kitchen and also the availability on the period when it is less busy. However you can still workaround when there is no one using the kitchen to get privacy.
6. Pump from Single-Staff Bathrooms
It does not sound well to use a bathroom for pumping but it can work. It can be comparatively private and functional for pumping, especially if the bathroom is spacious , well lit and clean. The level of hygiene is reasonable and you can use the sink to clean the pump tools.
Some companies’ washrooms even have counters, a power outlet, and a seat which you can use to pump on. Another good thing is you can lock the door and pump your milk. At least you are guaranteed that no male colleague will walk in.
7. Use the Office Changing Room
A changing room can work for you as a pumping spot at the office if you have a convenient pump and other cold storage options. It can be comparatively private and also comfortable depending on the size.
However, it should be among the very last options you pick because the level of hygiene is not guaranteed here. You need to observe very high levels of hygiene. In some cases, the closets can be extremely small, cold/ hot depending on the season, and do not lock.
Tips for Securing a Pumping Spot at Work or Office
- Talk to your boss about a comfortable, private spot to pump. It is a federal law so most will be willing to compromise.
- Demand politely- you deserve a place to pump at work but if you are not getting what you want you will have to demand it.
- Whichever spot you choose, possibly place a “do not disturb” sign on the door so that knocks don’t interrupt your flow.
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