This May Be a Stupid Question?

Question

Tonight I went to nursing class. I heard from the doula that many employers do now allow women to nurse or express milk at work. Is this a hidden secret or is it true? I do not know of any woman who has admitted to this nor I have seen any woman where I work do this. I am a substitute teacher in the public schools.

I want to breast feed, but I plan on returning to work.

Answer 1

well that is what they have breaks and lunches for. you can pump in your car or in the bathroom stall .. where there is a will there is a way. no one can tell you can't pump..

Answer 2

They do! My friend Bobby works for Costco and told me that when he walked into his managers office there was a woman pumping in there!

No employer should deny you!

Answer 3

If this is true.  you have a case on your hands.  It isn't right.

BUT also, you can pump your milk, and freeze it!  no joke.  There are special little bags that you put in the insert bottles after they have thawed.  

Answer 4

Here in Australia, an employee has to legally provide a place for a mother to express or nurse. It cannot be a bathroom (ew gross). Even though that is the law, I have never heard of anyone I know doing it. I don't think it is hugely common and it is not something that someone is really going to do where you can see them (expressing anyway) or that is going to come up in conversation with a substitute teacher. No offence meant I just can't imagine "yeah, I express my breastmilk at work for my daughter,....so where abouts do you live?"

Answer 5

It's true.  I pumped after both my pregnancies.  In CA your employer is supposed to provide you with a comfortable area to pump and give you access to it regularly.  It isn't always comfortable in the restroom so make sure you tell your employer that you would like to use a low used area.  You can always find more info on www.kellymom.com  There's another site but I can't remember it now.  

Also make sure to make a sign and that everyone knows about it.  I was walked in on a few times so I speak from experience.  Good luck.

Answer 6

Its true!  100%.  All you have to do is talk to your boss about it.  Let them know that you intend to breastfeed.  You can pump on your breaks and store it in the fridge.  It may gross some people out, but they can't really say much about it.  As long as you are doing it discreetly, that's all that matters.  I have lots of friends that simply asked for a quiet area in the break room.  Most of the employers simply brought in a screen and blocked off one little section of the break room or the women's restroom.  No big deal.

Answer 7

That's true....my last employer had lactation rooms in all of the women's bathrooms.