Confessions of a working mom: I need to go milk myself

If you didn’t figure it out from the title, this is probably a good time to give the men in the audience an excuse to bow out. This particular post may contain a little more … insight … into the world of being a working mom than you really want to know.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, back to my story. I don’t want to get on a soap box and tell you how much better breastfeeding is than formula feeding. Every mom needs to do what is best for her and her babies.

Here’s my take on it: I truly believe that breast milk is better for my children, but I’ll be honest. The primary reason I breastfed my daughter and am breastfeeding my son is because formula is expensive. I have no interest in spending a lot of money on something that I don’t think provides as good nourishment for my babies.

So as a breastfeeding working mom, the question becomes how do you feed your baby if he isn’t with you? If you’re lucky, you work for a supportive company that gives you the space and time you need to pump at work.

If you’ve never seen a breast pump, it’s kind of a daunting machine.

One of my best friends likes to say that “motherhood is nonstop glamour.” As a nursing mom, I have the distinct pleasure of carting this thing to and from work each day, dragging myself to the basement of a building at work, and milking myself while my colleagues go on about their days.

If I’m lucky, meetings and actual work don’t intrude on the time I’ve set aside to pump. Let me tell you: No one wants to know that I’m calling an end to a meeting because I’ve only got 20 minutes left before my next meeting and I need to fit a quick “pumping session” in before that.

So for my work friends, if we’re ever in a meeting that’s run late, please do me a favor. Don’t ask why I’m in such a hurry to wrap things up. The other people in the room probably don’t want to know.

*DISCLAIMER: I should say that I really have no room to complain. I work for a very supportive company that provides private nursing “suites.”  I know other nursing moms out there who have found themselves pumping in bathroom stalls or on the floors of their offices at work. I’m blest to work in a place that provides everything I need.