Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

I work for a very large corporation with many locations. I have been pumping during my lunch hour for about 6 weeks now. There are lactation rooms on two floors in my building and as far as I can tell, I am the only one using the room on the 7th floor. Today, someone came from one of the other buildings in the city and needed to use the room while I was in there. She knocked on the door and I said through the door that I was using the room. About 15 minutes later she came back and knocked again. I told her I needed another 20 minutes but that there was a room on the 8th floor she could use. She said she was from another building and this was the only one she knew about. Then she left. About 5 minutes later, she came back with security and he opened the door and let her in. No warning, no knock, just came right in. I felt completely violated. There are two chairs in the room along with a tiny fridge and a table with a phone. I feel like she either A - could have waited 20 minutes until I finished B - could have gone up one floor and used the other room or C- if it was truly company policy that anyone can just come in the room - they should have knocked again, said we are coming in, and given me a 60-90 second warning to cover up. When they came in the room, I made it very clear that I was unhappy about the situation and the other woman who needed to pump basically called me selfish and not understanding. To compound the problem, I have a new boss since returning to the office and I definitely don't want to make a first impression that I am causing trouble. If you got this far - thank you for reading. Any advice you have to give would be welcomed. Also - please be honest - if I was wrong, let me know. I am trying to decide if I should do anything about this.

Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Are you sure there wasn't someone using the other room as well? I know the situation was uncomfortable, but perhaps she was on her lunch also and didn't have time to wait 35 minutes for you to finish up?

Now that the situation has happened, I'd prob pack a coverup in my pump bag and let another mom in if she knocked. Its very hard to pump at work and its hard to be successful without support from others.

Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

OMG - I would be LIVID if I were you. I cannot believe another bf/pumping mom thought it was okay to barge in on you like that. That is completely out of line.

Question - do you have to reserve the room? Is it possible that she actually had it reserved and since you know there is no one else in the building using it, you never felt the need to reserve? Doesn't make it any better...she was so wrong.

On another note - how long do you pump for??? over 35 minutes sounds like a long time!

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Thanks for your responses. There rooms are not in our conference room booking system and I guess they don't hang signs on the door due to confidentiality. I usually use the room for 40 minutes - 5 minutes to set up, 30 minutes to pump and 5 minutes to clear up. I also eat my lunch while pumping to save time. I am not really angry with the other woman, it is more the security guard. He could have announced that they were coming in and I would have covered up - the door also opens to the elevators - so anyone walking by could definitely see in (not that I was paying attention to that at the time). You are absolutely right that the 8th floor could have been in use - but why couldn't she have told me that through the door and said she was coming in? I feel like I violated a code of momhood but at the same time I feel so uncomfortable that this could happen at any time where I work with co-workers able to peak in - it makes me want to stop pumping at work altogether.

(Not trying to make excuses here or look for sympathy - so please be honest if you think I'm wrong - it will help the debate in my head about going to make a complaint to security or letting my boss know that I am unhappy and some sort of policy needs to be made or if it's in place - at least it should be enforced.)

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

It was not right at all to come in with a key without any warning! That is a violation to any pumping woman.

I do think that in the future to bring a coverup or cover with part of your shirt if possible so another woman can pump if need be. You don't know the other person's time constraints so it may be helpful to share the room.

In my school 3 teachers were pumping and there was no designated spots just empty classrooms so we would share if need be.

Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

I would complain to HR. I understand if she needed the room but to have security open the door is a privacy violation.

Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

I feel like you should be more understanding as she is in the same situation you are in. Are you opposed to sharing the room? She probably had limited time, didn't know where the other room was located and already felt out of place as its not her building. Put yourself in her shoes.

I would defiantly be annoyed they walked in unannounced. But don't you wear a cover up? I would feel odd knowing it's a public space and anyone could walk into the room and would wear a nursing cover.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Although it was unfortunate that security barged in, I think you need to put yourself in the other mom's shoes. She waited a full 35 minutes before she got security, who knows how long of a break she has, or how engorged she was at that point.

I would be a little more understanding and supportive of other pumping moms. I think the first time she knocked I would have offered the space, but you did offer her an alternative. The second time she knocked, she was clearly desperate.

35 minutes is an awful long time.

Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

OK from her POV I can see how you were in there for a long time. I pumped 30m at home and never more than 15m at work and made up for it at home.

However, what did she think would happen? That you two would pump side by side? How awkward! And she let them open the door on a pumping mom, that's mortifying!

I would have cut my session short after the first knock BUT I think she was wrong too!

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

I would absolutely let HR know. I pumped for 9 months at work and plan to so again when I go back in a few weeks and I would be furious if someone barged in on me. So rude.

I do think you took a long time in there, but if someone did that to me and I HAD to pump for whatever reason I would sooner find an empty office or go to the bathroom - I would never intentionally walk in on someone or get security to let me in. One time when I was pumping someone needed to come in to get their milk from the fridge bc they were leaving so they just asked that I cover up and let them in, so I get that sometimes people need to get in the room, but they should tell you why and just ask you to cover up IMO.

ETA that is it required by law that the space for pumping mothers be private, so not sure if this violates that.

Message edited 7/11/2013 7:20:14 PM.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Is this room meant for sharing? If not, what makes her pumping more important than your pumping? I would have just knocked again and stressed that I needed the room too. Getting security was a biitch move!

I do think there should be a 30 minute time limit, 45 minute seems a bit much if others need access to the room as well.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Are you 100% sure she heard you and didn't just think the room was locked ?

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Posted by Karen

Although it was unfortunate that security barged in, I think you need to put yourself in the other mom's shoes. She waited a full 35 minutes before she got security, who knows how long of a break she has, or how engorged she was at that point.

I would be a little more understanding and supportive of other pumping moms. I think the first time she knocked I would have offered the space, but you did offer her an alternative. The second time she knocked, she was clearly desperate.

35 minutes is an awful long time.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

I would be angry and speak with HR to establish the rules. The security guard should not have entered w out warning you to cover up.

And this is why when I'm at work I pump in my car. I have a private parking spot and tinted windows lol. I feel safe there and feel it let's me pump in a stress free environment.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

i'd be PISSED. that is totally unacceptable. i can't believe a security guard would have done that. just from a personal standpoint, if i was about to walk into a lactation room, i would definitely knock....ESPECIALLY if i was a man walking in on partially naked women. i'd complain to the building manager.

Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

I would also talk to hr about putting a reservation system in place. I just found out mine has one so before I go back to work I going to reserve my time. I think there are 30 minute limits though.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

I would have been livid also!

Maybe you were in there a long time, but you gave her an alternative. If that room was also taken she should have come back, knocked again, and said "i only have such and such time left and really need to pump now. Can you cover up a bit and let me share the room?"

Getting a security guard to unlock the door when you were in there pumping with no warning is unacceptable.

If this is a security guard that is normally on duty at your building, he should know that this is a pumping room and is even more unacceptable that he would unlock it without knocking. This is definitely a violation of privacy! and you should absolutely speak to HR

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

In the future can you hang a sign on the door that the room is in use? I had to do this when I was pumping at a client's office.

I would be mortified if someone walked in on me pumping. I hope you get some resolution.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Thank you very much for all the comments - I appreciate that it's a mix of different thoughts. I spoke to security this morning and there are actually rules in place for the room and the security guard actually shouldn't have even been on that floor. The suggestions are much appreciated - I am definitely going to put an IN USE - PLEASE KNOCK sign on the door when I am in there. It's an unfortunate location for the room because the door opens up right where all 8 elevators open up. However, the room is actually on the 7th floor and I work on 11 so the chance of an actual coworker on my team walking by is not very likely. On days where it's possible I am going to try to do two short pumps instead of one long pump.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Ugh! I feel your pain. The cleaning person came very close to walking in on me when I was pumping in my office after my daughter was born. I found pumping at work very stressful. I didn't even go as long as I wanted because it took so long and it became increasingly hard and my supply dropped. All that being said, if I was the other woman, I wouldn't be super thrilled being asked to wait 35 minutes when I came from another building. I am sure her time is limited and she may be new to pumping at work and worried about what her boss will think if she is gone too long. They clearly need a better system. The security guard was completely out of line. I hope that never happens to you again.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)

Yes there should have been more warning!!! I 100% agree with you! But I started pumping in the Nicu. My twins were in 2 hospitals. One had seperate stalls with a curtain within the pumping room. The other just was a room. These rooms were used by Nicu moms and staff. I shared that room with many moms.
I would find out what the policy is. If there was a lactation room where I work, I would not assume that it was private to only the current occupant.

Re: Need advice from those who pump at work (or others who care to comment)