Pumping in a bathroom?

[@llli*miniwo]

My LO is just over 6 wks old, I returned back to work this Tuesday and had been pumping in a single bathroom w/ a lock on the door. My direct manager said that was not ok and wanted to find me some place better. I started using a new room in a different building and found out today, there is another girl returning to work in a week who will be using that same room. Trying to schedule 3 girls in one room 3x a day seems a little tough so my manager went to the floor manager to see if there was something else we could do for me and my floor manager said that the bathroom was just fine and they were not going to make any changes in my area. My floor manager is a mom of two kids so I would have thought she would agree a bathroom is not the place. My direct manager still does not agree with the floor manager but am I supposed to make a big deal about this or let it go? What can I do without causing drama?

[@llli*scienceteachermommy]

Are you in the US? If you are, your employers are required, by law, to provide you with a location other than a bathroom to pump. Depending on your state, state law may give you even greater protection.

This is the regs from the U.S. Department of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm

[@llli*durhamgrrl]

I will say that 4 of us used the same room (three of us had babies with a month and a half in age) for a full year. It was hard and we had to have a schedule but it worked most of the time. I was the one who had the most difficulty keeping to a schedule (it is not in my nature). We only really had one person who *absolutely* had to pump at an exact time and it would have been impossible id we were all on very set schedules or if we had the kind of jobs where you cannot plan your day (like I did with my first baby). I think it is completely unreasonable to have to pump like that, but I think the law is OK with it

[@llli*wdsmom]

I know legally they have to provide a space for you to pump that is not a bathroom, however, I have been pumping in a bathroom for both of my LO's. It is a single room, quiet, and has a lock on the door. I roll a large comfy office chair in and set my pump up on the counter. It is very convenient to be able to wash my hands right before pumping and then rinse out my stuff afterwards.
I guess just decide what you are comfortable with. If you aren't comfortable with the bathroom, then I would speak up and say so.

[@llli*jbean1979]

I know legally they have to provide a space for you to pump that is not a bathroom, however, I have been pumping in a bathroom for both of my LO's. It is a single room, quiet, and has a lock on the door. I roll a large comfy office chair in and set my pump up on the counter. It is very convenient to be able to wash my hands right before pumping and then rinse out my stuff afterwards.
I guess just decide what you are comfortable with. If you aren't comfortable with the bathroom, then I would speak up and say so.

i pumped in a bathroom for 14 months. I could have demanded a better space, but this felt like the best option for me because no one questioned how long i took, how many times i pumped, whether i should get paid for those times or not... I guess it depends on your work environment. I work with a bunch of men who do not really respect all things nursing mom

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Is the room too small for a couple girls to use it at the same time? Because that might help ease some of the congestion around scheduling the room.

I have attended conferences and such where there was one pumping room for thousands of people, and often there were several of us in there pumping at the same time. Couches turned at different angles helped provide privacy.

[@llli*durhamgrrl]

Is the room too small for a couple girls to use it at the same time? Because that might help ease some of the congestion around scheduling the room.

While my preference was not to share I was shocked at how opposed the other women were to it. I wanted to be able to hang a curtain or something, but they were very uncomfortable with the whole idea. I think I was the only one NIPing too

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Wow. Maybe it has something to do with the NIPing It never occurred to me this could be a problem. Maybe because my only experiences with pumping before now outside of the home has been in shared places. And now, with PIPing, I take it as I can get it.

[@llli*buff24]

I was going to suggest offering to work out a pumping schedule with the other girls? Maybe tape up a calendar outside the door of the pumping room and have all the girls using the room write their name down on the times they want to use the room?

I will say that I have pumped in a zillion different places in my office over the course of pumping for 2 babies... but I never had to pump in the bathroom (although I understand those who are fine with it.) I used various conference rooms or storage rooms, boss's office, etc. as long as they were relatively clean, had a place to sit, had a locking door, and a place to put the pump, I was good to go.

[@llli*differjean]

I would not pump in the bathroom at work...of course I work at a school and the bathrooms are nasty...even if they don't look like it. :P I've pumped in a lot of different places though. In a shared office (so I got used to pumping with others around and wouldn't have a problem sharing with other pumping Mamas). Actually, I offered my office to another returning Mama to pump if she couldn't find anywhere else. I cover everything and turn my back to people when not covered. I don't like people coming into my room while I'm pumping though (other teachers other than my office mate, custodians...got used to her coming in though, and students <--never a good thing), but they usually had no idea what I was doing. I've pumped in a closet, in the car, in a moving car (not me driving), on the floor in a practice room at a local college....fun times. :P

You can pump on a schedule. With teaching you have to pump on a fixed schedule. If you have the chance to schedule in your own times then it isn't as bad. I had to adjust to times given to me and had to make it work. This sometimes meant adding in extra pump times that I wouldn't normally need if the scheduled times were better.