Pumping at your desk

[Anonymous]

Would it be totally obnoxious to pump at my desk (it is a cubicle) using a wearable pump? No one would really see me because the cubicle walls are high but my office is quiet and coworkers would definitely hear it. We have a lactation room but I do not get time off to pump, so I have to make up the time I spend pumping and not at my computer by working late. It feels like such a bad choice between breastfeeding or spending time with my child.

[Anonymous]

Move your desk into the lactation room.

[Anonymous]

You should move this to the jobs forum. Yes, it would be obnoxious to your coworkers to do this.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the breast pump noise would be obnoxious. Work something out where you can work in the lactation room when you need to pump.

[Anonymous]

I have a coworker that does this and it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Most people won’t notice the sound. I think it’s fine. When I pumped, I brought my laptop into the pumping room.

[Anonymous]

I absolutely pumped with wearables at my cube. I exclusively pumped for a NICU baby with feeding issues. I used my wearables EVERYWHERE. People can handle it.

[Anonymous]

my coworker would wear her wearables in our meetings. i wear my spectra on zoom. go for it.

but also think there's legal protection for pumping breaks (i get paid hourly so this doesn't help me in anyway)

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/nursing-mothers/faq

[Anonymous]

It's by law they have to give you time to pump? Personally I wouldn't pump at my desk, also I guess it would depend the type of pump you had.


Congratulations with your tiny human.

[Anonymous]

My office-suite-mate wears them around during the day (just in our offices, but I'm a guy plus others are going in and out). It's fine. Modern pumps are super quiet.

One time when I got a hair cut, the woman cutting my hair was pumping. Given the close proximity, I could obviously hear it, but it was fine.

[Anonymous]

I would not do it. I would just bring my laptop to the lactation room.

[Anonymous]

My oldest is 12 - when she was born, I and another colleague were the reason they turned an office into a pumping room. We asked for a small refrigerator and two desktop computers so that we could do work while pumping. Why can't you do that? When my youngest (now 8) was born, I worked full time in a SCIF. I would print out reading materials and take them with me to mark up while I was pumping in the lactation room. You could do the same. Be creative.

[Anonymous]

I work for local government but I thought it’s required you allow time to pump without penalty. Do you have an HR dept?

[Anonymous]

I would never work extra hours in this circumstance— I would pump at my desk and when/if someone complained I would tell management to give me an office with a door so I didn’t disturb my colleagues but obviously I couldn’t sacrifice time with my child.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t mind but I wouldn’t do it myself. I brought my laptop to the lactation room and worked while pumping.