https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:30:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2587472 Sun, 17 Jul 2016 15:47:14 +0000 caterw 2587472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: Agree! I used the shower/ storage room and had to balance the pump on an ironing board! Not ideal but I was the only pumping mom my employer had in 40 years of doing business. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2587041 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 16:31:06 +0000 stratosphere 2587041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Assuming you are located in the US, if HR person doesn't come back (ASAP) with a satisfactory solution and your boss's email also doesn't bear fruit right away, send an email to your in-house legal department, letting them know that you have tried to work with HR, but are concerned by their lack of response and seeming lack of familiarity with US legal requirements in this area and that you and the other nursing mothers are unable to all express breast milk at the times you each need to do so due to the inadequate size/number of pumping spaces provided and you just wanted to ensure that legal was aware of the issue. Either send this email to the General Counsel, if it's a tiny legal department, or to the "Employment Counsel" if it's a large/larger one with specialist lawyers on staff. I am guessing this issue will certainly get the attorneys' attention and they'll make sure an accommodation is made. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586935 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:45:49 +0000 PawPrints 2586935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would make a stink. Demand one of the empty offices be designated as another nursing room, and don't take no for an answer. Five of you pumping 3x a day in a closet-size space is ludicrous. I know when I was pumping I was adamant about not pumping after 3pm, so I could be sure I was ready when LO nursed before bed (when she was cranky from a long daycare day with little napping, and primed to get upset, so low supply was not going to cut it). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586871 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 11:05:49 +0000 hellobeeboston 2586871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: sorry to hear you're dealing with this! UGH... i would definitely see if there is another location you can add... i'm in a big office and there are 2 mothers rooms, and the one closest to me currently has 4 of us pumping. I'm still pumping 3x a day but about to cut down to 2x now that LO is 9 months..... We have an Outlook Caledar set up which is essential.</p> <p>We all mostly book in 30 minute increments, but are allowed 45. We're all on a similar schedule so each have a half hour from 9-11, 11:30-1:30, 2:30-4:30.</p> <p>Our room is also equipped with a fridge, sink, storage cabinet, phone for conference calls and a network hard line. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586764 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 08:15:13 +0000 ElbieKay 2586764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: Look up the federal law and the law in your state. When we were designing our new office, my boss was planning to use the ADA bathroom as a pumping room. I printed the law out, highlighted the relevant sections, and handed it to him. As a result, we have four phone rooms and two of them have drywall instead of glass walls as originally planned so that they can be used for pumping.</p> <p>@Adira: I disagree with your advice because I don't think it is reasonable for everyone to stick with rigid 30-minute increments. If a meeting runs late or has to be scheduled over your time slot, then you are screwed for the day. More flexibility is required for most professional jobs.</p> <p>@Mrs D: I think you should confront your regular HR guy even though he is male. Why should his gender matter? In fact, it might make him uncomfortable and more motivated to accommodate you so he doesn't have to worry about it anymore!</p> <p>ETA: Looks like @babypugs already addressed my comment about an overly tight schedule. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586726 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 07:08:48 +0000 LulaBee 2586726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I share a pumping room with 3 other women- it's a small room set up with chair, table, mini fridge- but the ONLY room in our entire office that has a non-glass door. We have to make it work. We stagger times, and if something changes we just shoot an email to the group. Everyone tries to be accommodating, but it really sucks to only have one room. If there were empty offices, I would use one, and if there was an empty office without glass, I would petition to turn it into another pumping room. </p> <p>If I were you, I would keep pushing until you get another room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586706 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 05:42:39 +0000 babypugs 2586706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Employers have to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk.” EACH TIME---if you can't pump when you need to (and sharing a room with that many others there's no way!) they are breaking the law. I'd definitely go to the HR guy!</p> <p>I as in a similar situation with the Outlook calendar and it was great in theory, but meetings, people situations, urgent deadlines, etc. kept popping up...it was a disaster. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586688 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 00:00:15 +0000 DesertDreams88 2586688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the law actually says that pumping rooms can't be bathrooms, so that's a violation right there... And yes, creating another pump room is absolutely necessary. No need to have unused office space. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586540 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 18:56:43 +0000 autumnleaves 2586540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ended up using an empty office near my cube with DS1 and not asking HR about it. Our facilities dept would not approve of that - I think they took the chair out of the office but I borrowed one from a nearby cube and pumped in there anyways.<br /> Now they have added locks to the doors of our small conference rooms so there is an available room on every floor to pump. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586539 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 18:56:14 +0000 Mama Bird 2586539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: so nice of your boss to offer that! And maybe it's worth going to the HR guy... maybe he'll be rattled enough by having to deal with pumping issues that he'll try to resolve them ASAP :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586456 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:36:16 +0000 catomd00 2586456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just use an empty office until someone says something? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586451 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:27:56 +0000 Mrs D 2586451@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mauxie: My boss offered the same thing...her office has a window but I could basically get out of site of it no problem...plus with my cover who cares. She said she could leave or if she didnt need to be on a conference call she said she'd just turn on music. She's awesome and I know she means it and would not care at all (she nursed two babies to 1 year each so she gets it) but still its just not her responsibility to sacrifice like that! She is going to send an email (one of 10 female executives in the company so she has some pull) if I get no where on my own...fingers crossed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586443 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:13:03 +0000 mauxie 2586443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh man, I would be annoyed. </p> <p>I work on a large campus and also pump (3rd baby). There are a few pumping rooms located throughout but still about ~10+ min walk. Each room has 2 stations and a privacy divider, mini fridge, blankets, rocker, napping cot, extra pump parts, ziplock bags, etc. It's first come first serve, but there is also a schedule in case some women need a specific time (appt is forfeited if you don't show up within 15 mins). For me, I don't like having a set time bc my first pumping time depends on when I last nursed LO in the morning and how busy I am with my actual work. </p> <p>My boss knows of the pumping rooms but she has told me I am welcome to pump in her office, if I ever need to. I prefer not to bc that means she is room-less for 15-20 mins, but there have been times where I need to pump quickly and get to another task/mtg. I feel like a lot of my day is wasted walking 10+ mins each way, 2 times a day just to pump. </p> <p>Right now, there is one office immediately across from my shared-office that is vacant MWF so she got in touch with Facilities to give me a key. So I only use the pump room T/Th. </p> <p>I would totally make a stink about it bc I think having to put effort into scheduling pumping times is a waste of work/productivity time. Seems like an easy solution to have access to another room, considering there are vacancies... Maybe I've been spoiled by the pumping accommodations.. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586439 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:09:52 +0000 Mrs D 2586439@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: Completely agree..I was just being hopeful she was different. I gave her the 5 offices I knew around me to be vacant...we'll see if she does anything with it...if not I will raise it to him...something tells me the 24 year old guy a state away will be rather rattled when I raise this issue ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586437 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:07:36 +0000 catlady 2586437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: That stinks. Maybe ask the man and see what he says? Sometimes women can be more catty than men in these types of cases (I have seen cases of things like "well, if I did it in horrible conditions, than you should be able to as well..."). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586433 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:01:45 +0000 Mrs D 2586433@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catlady: This is basically what I just laid out. I am kind of baffled...I did not go to my HR rep bc 1 he sits in another state and is a he. I went to a woman here in my building who had a daughter 6 years ago...and nursed for a year...she should remember... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586429 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:54:07 +0000 catlady 2586429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would meet with all the other moms and try to figure out what the ideal schedules would be for everyone and then see how they could be staggered. Then figure out how many rooms you really need to accommodate those schedules. After figuring that out, I'd see if every mom would agree to keep persistently asking HR for the number of rooms you all agreed on and see if they do something if there are enough people asking. </p> <p>HR probably does not understand that pumping cannot be done on command simply because it was scheduled into Outlook, there is biology involved and some of you will probably need to overlap schedules by necessity. So you guys will have to make that clear. Maybe even provide the specific schedules you guys want (all of you) to HR so they can see what you are up against. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586424 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:47:03 +0000 Mrs D 2586424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So ya, as @T.H.O.U.: mentioned...pumping at 8am does not work for those of us (2 of us) who nurse right before leaving the house around 6:45-7:15...plus I know all three of us nurse right when we get home from work so pumping after 4pm kinda sucks too...</p> <p>It just shouldnt be this difficult!</p> <p>I would totally just duck into an office and turn my back to the door @Ms.Badger: except our security does constant rounds...and if an office is supposed to be un-occupied 1) you are not allowed to be in there and 2) security is instructed to open/unlock the door and leave it open. I know some of the security guards but dont feel right asking them to break protocol for me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586409 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:37:47 +0000 Truth Bombs 2586409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would make a stink. Having an Outlook calendar or just a set schedule like @Adira: posted would never work for me. My pump schedule is based off of every three hours after my baby wakes up for the day and eats. Some times he eats at 5:30, so my first pump at work is 8:30.... sometimes he eats at 7, and my first pump at work is 10. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586408 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:37:44 +0000 Ms.Badger 2586408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My pumping experience was pretty much exactly the same, there were 5 of us and 1 tiny room. We scheduled it all on an outlook calendar and it worked perfectly well. The other moms and I would communicate if we needed to swap times and things worked out great. But, when people would miss their time, we would just duck into an unused office of someone we'd talked to previously (I knew people around me who had work from home days and asked if I could use their office for pumping when they were out). So I'd advocate trying to use an outlook calendar first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586407 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:36:33 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2586407@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Assuming everyone works roughly an 8-5 schedule, that would not work at all. Person 1 would pump as soon as they walk in the door? Person 5 pump right before they leave for the day? </p> <p>At some point you just need to tell them they need to offer an extra space. Our office had to come up with a second room because so many pumping moms needed it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586402 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:32:37 +0000 Adira 2586402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I mean... it's doable... for 5 women to share 1 room. It's just not ideal... I definitely think having an Outlook calendar so you can schedule it will help.</p> <p>You could do something like this:</p> <p>Person 1: 8:00, 11:00, 2:00<br /> Person 2: 8:30, 11:30, 2:30<br /> Person 3: 9:00, 12:00, 3:00<br /> Person 4: 9:30, 12:30, 3:30<br /> Person 5: 10:00, 1:00, 4:00</p> <p>Or shift all those times depending on your hours. And if some people are only pumping twice a day, it makes it easier.</p> <p>BUT definitely point out to HR that with 5 people sharing the room, that means there's only a couple free 30 minute blocks, so if you have a meeting get scheduled at your "scheduled" pumping time, you have to skip the meeting or miss a pumping time since there's no leeway with scheduling. Another room really is crucial with 5 busy ladies! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586395 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:27:06 +0000 MrsADS 2586395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Why not just use an empty office?? Just put up a sign? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586387 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:21:40 +0000 Mrs D 2586387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsA: Ya we have all said if it was bigger we'd be fine with co-pumping since we all have covers anyways if we want! But seriously there is a chair and a small 2' round table...nothing else could fit if we wanted to! I guess someone could sit on the floor - but thats ridiculous! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586383 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:20:25 +0000 Mrs D 2586383@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree ... its nice we have a room...but 5 women juggling one room is just never going to work out well...</p> <p>It just frustrates me with the un-used offices...just give me something to cover the window with and let me put a sign on the door that says "designated space" so no one else uses it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586382 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:19:33 +0000 MrsA 2586382@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sure you should ask! Logistically 5 moms with up to 3 visits per day (and likely very similar times!) cannot share one teeny room. Maybe present one or two easy alternative offices?</p> <p>At my old work when I was pumping two of us could share the space. No curtain, but we just met up and went in together so we could lock the door. We called them "pumping parties" :silly: But that room was definitely larger than 6x3. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586379 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:18:32 +0000 Mrs D 2586379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DillonLion: Ya,,,thats why I asked originally...and the HR rep was like "like can put the room into outlook to make scheduling easier"...um thanks but that doesnt change the scheduling issues!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586378 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:16:58 +0000 pachamama 2586378@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Law mandates they provide you space to pump. If you don't have space well, then, sounds like they are not complying. Splitting hairs but hey! I'd definitely push the issue. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586376 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:15:34 +0000 MrsBrewer 2586376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would for sure ask!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-moms-pumping-at-work#post-2586373 Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:15:05 +0000 snowjewelz 2586373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't throw a stink but I'd get everyone to keep asking persistently, politely.</p> <p>There's no mother's room for me so I've always used empty offices. </p>