Quick question

[@llli*tampamama]

I am pumping at work every 2 - 2.5 hours for 20-30 minutes. Next Tuesday I have meetings from 9 - 12:30pm straight. This will put me at close to 4.5 hours between nursing my LO before I leave for work and getting to daycare to feed her at lunch. I asked for a break and was told that it was only possible if I was willing to request a change in the entire meeting schedule I really don't want to inconvenience everyone else. To top it off, this will be her first day in daycare (instead of with a nanny). UGH!!! Anyhow...will one day of a long stretch between pumping/feeding have any lasting effect on my supply? LO is 6 months old and I will be home with her all day on Wednesday so I can stage a "nurse-in" if I need to.

[@llli*mommal]

No breaks? Not even to go to the bathroom? I might pretend to have a tummy bug and disappear for 20 minutes or so.

A 4.5 hour stretch between pumping sessions certainly is not ideal, but unless you're having supply problems already it's probably not a make-or-break sort of thing, since it's only this once.

[@llli*tampamama]

I'm sure there will be a couple 5-10 minute bathroom breaks. Should I just try to pump super quick? If I have everything set up in my office I could probably manage a couple 5-7 minute pumps.

I love the idea of a tummy bug, but since I've already asked for a break, I think they'd be on to me It really burns me up...this is a teambuilding "retreat" and I am so irritated by the lack of flexability and understanding that I'm in no mood to hold hands and sing "kum ba yah"

[@llli*mommal]

I would definitely take a 5-10 minute break and pump. Maybe stretch it to a 7-12 minute break.

Sorry the "team-building" exercise is more of a "group punishment" exercise.

[@llli*boob.traveler]

You might get very uncomfortable if you're used to every 2 hours, but I don't think one long stretch will affect your supply. I just started back to work over the weekend, and had three days with a few looong intervals without being able to pump or nurse (like 5 hours). Yesterday I was back home with my DD, and if anything I seem to be having more oversupply than I previously did! I actually went out last night and bought disposable pads after my Lily Pads failed and I leaked through bra and shirt twice.

In your situation, if you want to keep the breaks short, maybe you could just express with a manual pump for a few minutes on each side during the "bathroom breaks," to keep yourself from feeling like your boobs are exploding? (Or hand express, if you're skilled at that -- I'll admit that I am too lazy to figure it out, and it seems like it would be messy, but I know some ladies manage it). I found a Lansinoh manual pump for like $12 in my local grocery store, and it's a nice light alternative to when I don't want to drag the whole electric setup around with me.

[@llli*mercystreet]

I had a similar situation recently -- a staff retreat was planned without adequate breaks for pumping. I basically just told them that I would be late coming back from the bathroom breaks. They might not want to "give" you a longer break, but how can they really stop you from taking one? Are they going to send the potty police after you if you don't walk in exactly on schedule? Doubtful ;-) You might get pretty uncomfortable otherwise. If you have your pump already set up in your office, and you don't bother breaking it down or cleaning the parts afterwards (just wait until later to do so, they will be fine standing at room temp for a few hours), you could stretch one of your 10 minute breaks just an extra 5 minutes halfway through the meeting and be much more comfortable. Also, the manual pump suggestion (if you have one) is a great idea.