Pumping at work? This group is for you

PumpMoms is a great resource for nursing--and working--moms. I found a lot of great tips there.

Information for moms who want to pump at work

A new mom recently asked about pumping at work. I thought others might have questions about this as well. 

Yes, there is a lactation room--in EPN. You need to contact the NIH Lactation program in order to reserve a time slot: http://dohs.ors.od.nih.gov/lactation_guidelines.htm.

I pumped 3xday for 20 minutes—took 30 min start to finish with set up and everything. To save time, I didn’t wash the pump parts between pumping—I put everything in the fridge and just used it again for the next session. I stored the milk in the fridge on the 8^th floor (in a lunch box).

Bring a picture of the baby with you—of course. Thinking about her will help you get more out. Expect that your first session of the day will yield more than the next two. It’s fine to combine milk from different pumping sessions to give her the next day. Breast milk can be at room temperature for 8 hrs—amazing antimicrobial properties!

Watch this video for ideas on how to maximize production. http://www.google.com/search?q=stanford+pumping+video&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

The Breastfeeding Center of DC is another great resource. http://www.breastfeedingcenter.org/.

AACR Annual Meeting: Lactation Room/Child Care

CHILD CARE AND NURSING MOTHERS SUITE

The AACR has entered into a contract with KiddieCorp of Orlando, FL, to provide bonded, qualified child care specialists at the Annual Meeting. KiddieCorp, which provides these services at meetings throughout the country, will operate a child care facility for children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years in the convention center. The facility is located in Room W340 ABC and will be available on the following schedule:

Saturday, April 2	7:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 3	6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Monday, April 4	6:30 a.m.-6:45 p.m.
Tuesday, April 5	6:30 a.m.-7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, April 6	6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Get focused on the new building

By now most people know that NCI is moving to Shady Grove in 2013. GSA has a contract with a building to design and build the facility to NCI/GSA specifications. The building will be "environmentally friendly", but it has become clear to many of us that it will be less "family friendly". There are no plans for an on-site child care center.

http://newcampus.cancer.gov/location/amenities/childcare/#respond

Until the issue was raised, plans included only one lactation room in the complex. That number has now been expanded, I think to 3. None of the windowed offices are 'private' as they will have 1/4 to 3/4 wall to window ratio for the interior wall. This is to allow sunlight to filter in to the core of the building. Those offices--which are designated for GS-13 equivalent and above--will not have blinds to offer privacy for those of us who prefer to pump while at our desks.

An additional survey is planned to measure NCI staff support for child care and other amenities. I urge you to complete the survey when it's distributed.

Pumping at AACR

CHILD CARE AND NURSING MOTHERS SUITE
The AACR will provide professional child care services in the Convention Center at reduced rates subsidized by the Association for infants and children ages 6 months to 11 years during the Annual Meeting. To register for child care services, please download the child care registration form or online below.


* ONLINE CHILD CARE REGISTRATION
* DOWNLOAD CHILD CARE FORM *

Annual Meeting participants who are also nursing mothers will find the privacy of the Nursing Mothers Suite in the Convention Center a comfortable and secure environment in which to nourish and nurture their babies. AACR-Women in Cancer Research is pleased to sponsor this important service. Child care will be located in Salon F on the East Registration area; the Nursing Mothers Suite will be located in Salon D of the East Registration area. Both of these are across from the Annual Meeting registration area in the Washington Convention Center.
Hours of Operation:
Saturday, April 17 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 18 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Monday, April 19 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21 6:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Great Web Site with Tips on Pumping!

http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html

Pumping advice....

Here's the list of suggestions that came to Lindsay to welcome her back from maternity leave:

whenever I feel like my milk is running low I add an extra pumping (dropping down to every 2 hrs--totally annoying) and start drinking lots of fluids (especially fenugreek tea--old wives tale about increasing milk production).  Since our last round of kids, they starting making soft flexible breast shields, which I find incredibly more comfortable than the hard ones and believe it makes pumping more tolerable! 

I agree that the soft cups are really great (though I never had the rigid ones...).

To ease your re-entry... here's my pumping sign! I put it inside a plastic document protector and hung it from my door (used a dry-erase marker to note the time...)