On Working and Pumping

So I've been really lucky.  I am a manager - I have an office with a door that closes and locks.  I work primarily at my desk on a computer, and I can pump and work at the same time.  The only difficulty I ever face is scheduling pumping around meetings.  Which really isn't that difficult, most of the time.

I have my pumping routine down to a science.  It takes 30 minutes, exactly.  5 minutes to set up, 20 pumping, 5 to break down.  It goes like this: get out pump, plug in, take off clothes, put on pumping sports bra, insert cones, screw on bottles, attach bottles to flanges, plug in tubing, attach to bottles, turn on pump, grab lanolin and sit on it to warm while pumping, "start session" of pumping on iPod Baby Timer so I don't have to think, pump for 20 minutes, end pump session in BabyTimer, detach tubing, let pump continue to run, take bottles off, drain membranes, take flanges off, drain into bottles, combine bottles into 1 for storage, cap, check quantity pumped and enter into BabyTimer, screw parts onto new bottles, place new bottles and pumped milk in fridge, wipe down flanges (at home wash and sterilize), apply lanolin, get dressed, change out nursing pads if necessary, turn off pump, detach, coil, store tubing, zip pump, store.

I don't know how women who only have a 15 minute break do this.  It would be only 5 minutes of pumping for me, and I swear, I'm not wasting any time here!

Luckily, until Sunday, this wasn't a problem for me, because of the office and the ability to work while pumping.  But Sunday you have to be on the floor all day except for your 15 minute break.  I mentioned my concern to one lady, who consoled me with "at least the bathroom is just across the hall".  I didn't say this, but I wanted to: "Do YOU prepare YOUR FOOD in a BATHROOM??  No?  Then why should I prepare my tiny-not-fully-developed-immune-system BABY'S food in a bathroom?"  And, "Where do you want me to sit, on the public toilet that doesn't have a lid?  With my pants down or up?  While I prepare my BABY'S FOOD in the bathroom?"  What I did say was this, "I don't even think there are outlets in the stalls... are there?  I might just have to run down to my office."   This was a woman that I was talking to, y'all.  A woman.  A childless woman, but still.

Luckily the manager-in-charge on Sunday was a little more forward-thinking.  She scheduled me in a low-traffic location for one hour, and relieved me and told me to take all the time I needed.  Thank goodness for her!!