https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:25:13 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1070014 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 10:26:34 +0000 mrskc 1070014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If it makes you uncomfortable, maybe try and tell him you'd like to refrain from talking about parenting stuff or nursing. I'm sure he means well. Maybe just trying to find common ground with you? </p> <p>For me personally, it wouldn't bother me. Actually two of my male coworkers have talked about their wife nursing to me. One just mentioned it once. The other has talked about it in detail with me. Mentioning things like how their son bit her and he's made comments to me about how I better watch out when he gets teeth. Maybe it's a little odd, but it doesn't bother me. That's just me personally though. Not saying it shouldn't bother you or anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1070003 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 10:23:04 +0000 Meltini 1070003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: I find questions like that uncomfortable too! It just baffles me that people ask other people what comes out (or doesn't come out) of someone's breasts and who is sucking on them :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069978 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 10:14:30 +0000 blackbird 1069978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pink champagne, It's all the same to me when we're talking about my boobs. My husband saw that I was uncomfortable with the question at a restaurant, in front of his entire family. Not the time nor place for his inquiry! Not sad...protective ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069927 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:56:35 +0000 Pink Champagne 1069927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it's kind of sad to have the "why are you talking about my wife's boobs?" reaction- it's putting nursing in the same category as if the coworker had asked what cup size you are or told your husband you had a nice rack. It's sexualizing what is actually a very honest question about parenting. And I don't think it's weird, especially if it was coming from another dad. Now, it's totally understandable if your husband doesn't feel comfortable having that conversation with his friend/coworker, but lets all make our best efforts to distinguish nursing from "Omg BOOBS!!!" :)</p> <p>But seriously, the coworker going on and on about his wife? Awkward...! I like the "I would appreciate it if we could keep our discussions away from parenting choices" Segway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069910 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:53:01 +0000 Foodnerd81 1069910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: Yeah I thought it was really funny, though weird. But they are very friendly and since she just had a baby, I guess it came up. When we went to visit his office the other day the topic of the lactation room came up very casually and no one seemed weird about it, which I thought was great. (No one is weird about it in my office but it's like 98% women). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069885 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:42:35 +0000 blackbird 1069885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah it was just awkward. Work is just not the place! And I would have certainly felt differently had it been a woman. </p> <p>I work with sooo many awkward engineers, I usually let it go. This was just...detailed. I don't need to know about how her letdown made her so uncomfortable at night!</p> <p>@foodnerd, omg i would die if i had to talk about *my* boobs to a male coworker. Or if my husband talked about mine to someone else, lol. In fact, one of his buddies asked me if i was breastfeeding, and DH straight up said, "why are you asking about my wife's boobs? They're none of your business!" in a lighthearted manner. </p> <p>Ahhhhh.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069863 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:33:33 +0000 Turd Ferguson 1069863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Awww, he probably means well! There's a few guys at work whose wives have just had babies and they always try to talk to me about the whole pregnancy experience..."personal" details and all! I think they THINK they're finding "common ground" with me, and don't realize that when they talk about how dilated their wife was, or, when she "lost her plug," it's a little...ew. Boys don't get it sometimes. :)</p> <p>I think my opinion on it is...well, I don't know. It's tough because there's always SO much talk about "normalizing" breastfeeding and making people comfortable with it. At the same time, it's hard to differentiate between casual conversation and creepy coworker. I guess not knowing the coworker, and assuming he's a total creepface, I'd try to get him off the subject all together, but if he's just one of those nice/awkward guys trying to find a "common ground" that he thinks you'll probably appreciate (not realizing that it's super awkward to discuss boobs), maybe just try to steer the conversation towards more...comfortable waters...like...sleeping...or burping... ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069856 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:30:37 +0000 Foodnerd81 1069856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a coworker who I could totally see doing things-- he is like the king of saying awkward things (told me I was carrying very compact once, another time asked me how I could afford to live in the neighborhood I lived in). So yeah, he'd definitely say something like that if it came into his head. </p> <p>Then again, DH came home from a business trip once and told him his female coworker thinks I should breastfeed. I was like... how the heck did that come up? She had brought a big bag, for her pump, on the plane for a one day trip, DH wanted to know why she had a big bag, pump talk came up... I was like, so you were not only discussing my breasts, but also hers?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069823 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:21:46 +0000 mediagirl 1069823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: I had a coworker who told me too much about his wife's breastfeeding experience. I told him I would appreciate it if we could refrain from talking about parenting choices. I said it as nicely as possible and there were no hard feelings afterwards. Since then, he hasn't brought up my boobs, or hers. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069816 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:18:33 +0000 hellobeeboston 1069816@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ha - that is hilarious, sorry... i can't imagine a 50-something guy having that conversation with me!</p> <p>i'm sure he means well - but yeah, i'd continue with trying to change the subject. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069814 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:18:25 +0000 blackbird 1069814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I called to talk to him about one of his drawings that I was reviewing, then he asked how my baby was sleeping, and I gave the standard, "oh she does pretty well now" and then he just kind of launched into a story about his son and how "when my son was young" yadda yadda, next thing i know, BOOB TALK AT WORK. </p> <p>I find that a lot of coworkers, in general, use the whole "how is your baby doing?" to go down the, "when my son/daughter was a baby....." road....</p> <p>I know. Easier said than done. It's like I'm so uncomfortable, it's hard to even say anything and get over the awkward barrier </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069807 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:16:37 +0000 Dandelion 1069807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Was he calling to talk about something else? How does that subject even come up?</p> <p>ETA: I think you could just say, "I'm really not comfortable talking about this." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-do-you-do-with-tmi-coworkers-about-nursing#post-1069794 Fri, 06 Sep 2013 09:11:56 +0000 blackbird 1069794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of my coworkers has, numerous times, told me about how his son used to "suck his wife dry" and tells me about her letdown and all this nursing info and how it was uncomfortable for her, etc, when asking about my baby. Frankly, it makes me uncomfortable. It's way too TMI for a work environment. Oh and the guy is like, in his 50's. </p> <p>I usually try to change the conversation or just go, "uhhh".....but he keeps talking! This is a guy that has told me probably six times now about his son's voracious appetite. I'm also kind of partially dumbfounded when the discussion comes up....my brain says "i can't believe he's talking about this" </p> <p>I'm sitting at my desk, on the phone with him, making an "ew" face.</p> <p>Eta: i don't know why it's so hard to say, "I really don't want to hear about your wife's boobs" on the phone. </p>