I had no idea what else to title this but would you feel comfortable attending a work meeting with your breastmilk (in bottles without a cooler bag) on the table? Just happened today and I will admit I was a little jealous over her volume!
I asked the mom if she wanted to use my mini fridge but she declined. She actually left it on the table for a while to go get something and one of my male coworkers looked a little flustered. 
Another coworker was weirded out. Just curious.
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Why did she have it with her? That just seems odd- not because I think breastmilk is gross or should be hidden, just that I would make a point to store it properly right away if I could. Was she not at her regular office so had to pump somewhere she wasn't used to?
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@simplyfelicity: You mean not in a cooler bag or anything? No, I travel quite a bit for work and go to lots of meeting but I put my milk in my cooler bag and then in my backpack if there is no fridge I can use. It just seems weird to me to leave it on the table...
ETA: Similar to Foodnerd I usually try and keep it cool at all times
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I agree with @Foodnerd81. She didn't have a bag with her to put it in? I always have my pump bag which has a little cooler in it. BM really isnt supposed to stay out that long. I just wouldn't want it to go bad since it's so much work to get!!
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@Foodnerd81: @peaches1038: @mrswin: No cooler bag, that's why I offered my fridge. This meeting was right before work was over and said she wanted to avoid having to go back to her room.
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I think it's kinda weird then. She didn't have another bag with her? I think it's less weird to have someone nursing in a meeting than to just leave your milk on the table haha
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I've left a bottle on my desk before. I share an office with three other people. I was in a hurry and forgot to put it in the fridge.
Another mom at work just puts her bottles in the fridge with no cooler pack. It's not weird to me. I don't really know how anyone else feels
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I wouldn't see it as weird. I'm just wondering if people think bottles of formula would be weird too? Or bottles of milk from cow breasts?
But seriously, how come the other coworkers knew it was bm, not some other kind of milk?
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I think that's a little odd. I don't get why she wouldn't want to keep it cold either. It can't just sit at room temperature for forever.
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nbd.
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@MoonMoon: I thought it was interesting and maybe a little bit odd but that was about it.
It was pretty obvious it was breastmilk because her LO isn't there and it was in a breastmilk storage bag and a bottle.
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I was going to ask if it was the end of the day. Maybe she was going to feed it to her kid right when she got home, and didn't want to chill it?
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@MoonMoon: yes I think it would be equally strange to have a baby bottle full of formula on the table during a work meeting
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@simplyfelicity: ah gotcha! I thought it was in regular bottles.
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I would wonder why it wasn't in a bag or in the fridge, but I certainly wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
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Generally I would find it odd just because I like to put my milk in a fridge or cooler ASAP. But the first thing I thought when you said that you offered your fridge is that I'd probably forget it. So maybe that was her concern? If it was a short meeting, the time at room temp probably isn't too big of a deal. And I don't find the milk, itself weird. I store my breast milk in bottles in the break room fridge. I wondered if people would think it was weird but decided I don't care. It is well sealed and I put it in the back on the bottom shelf, so it's not in the way or anything.
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I wouldn't have kept it on the table, but breastmilk can actually stay out for several hours before being refrigerated. If it was freshly pumped, I'd personally be fine with letting it cool to room temp during the meeting and sticking it in the fridge later. But I'd probably put it somewhere unobtrusive, not front and center!
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No, I would not feel comfortable bringing bottles of BM and sitting it on conference room table during a meeting. To me that's personal stuff that should sit on the floor or a nearby credenza with other personal stuff that doesn't pertain to the meeting task at hand.
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Uh, I'm all about normalize breastfeeding but I would think this is weird. I can't think of any reason why I would ever need to keep a bottle of bm on a conference table during a meeting.
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I mean, it's odd...in the same way I think it's odd if someone had bottles of formula on a meeting table. Not uncomfortable, just ... Odd?
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@JenGirl: that's a good point about forgetting it. I could see that.
@MoonMoon: I'd think it was almost as odd to put bottles of formula on the table. Not like, incredibly strange, just odd.
But it wouldn't bother me, just odd.
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I think it's odd because it's not like she's gonna carry it home outside the bag. Like holding her keys and her two bottles? Yeah I think that's just weird. Not gross, just weird.
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Eh. Its a little distracting in a professional setting.
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I think it's odd because it isn't work related and why would you put something non-work related on the table during a meeting?
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@Corduroy: I bring coffee to meetings and have that on the table and that's not work related.
I only think it's weird she didn't have a cooler to store them in or some bag, just to make it easier to carry! But other than that, I don't think it's a big deal. Maybe she pumped and she's going to give that milk to her LO right after work so she doesn't want to have it cooled down only to then need to warm it back up, when fresh milk is fine being left out for a few hours.
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I think that's weird, it must have been distracting for people who realized it's breast milk. I wouldn't want people's minds going there at work! Maybe she was just distracted, especially if she had to sneak out of the meeting to pump.
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@Adira: So do I, I usually have a bottle of water. But sometimes I have tampons too and I don't put those out on the table
eta: totally not the topic of this thread, but it always bugs me when people eat lunch in a meeting that's not in the "lunch window." I don't want to smell food or see people eating.
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@Adira: unless the woman was planning to drink the breastmilk herself, a cup of coffee isn't exactly a good comparison.
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Personally, I would feel self-conscious leaving my milk out. But I wouldn't be grossed out or weirded out if someone else did.
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@Truth Bombs: yes. I could bring my groceries and set them on the table, but it's a little distracting, haha
Unless it's something you're actively consuming (water, coffee) or sharing with the group (box of donuts) , I def. think it's a little weird.
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@Truth Bombs: haha, I was just saying that not everything that's on a table in a meeting is work related, in reference to what @Corduroy: said. Wasn't trying to say she was going to drink the breast milk!
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@looch: yes! I realize people take "lunch" when it's convenient, but I'd rather sit in the lobby for an extra 10-15 minutes than watch someone try to multi task a meeting.
Don't give me back a paper to point something out after your food hands have molested the sheet! Say it, don't spray it! Chew just chew this pause isn't awkward! Yeah, raw onion on your delivery sandwich or left over warmed up fish makes me want to dig in too!
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I think this is so strange and relatively unprofessional, to just leave it on a table during a meeting. And very HEY LOOK AT MY BREAST MILK. No.
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I wouldn't be upset by it, but I think it's weird and honestly unprofessional. There is just no reason why it needs to be on the table during a mtg.
But I also don't like eating in mtgs. Not that I haven't done it when there are b2b mtgs, but it's not something I normally do. I prefer to just get the work done.
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@blackbird: exactly.
Breastmilk makes people uncomfortable (maybe not YOU (reading this) specifically but people in general). I would feel weird if someone's breastmilk was on the table. It would make me think about pumping, which would make me think about her boobs. It's obvious what it is. Coworkers know she pumps. Why not just put that bottle in your purse?
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The only reason I felt weird if I left my milk out was because I work with 18 year olds most of the time... and they don't really get it. With other adults, I don't think it's that weird.
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I thought about this. I think my initial reaction would be that it's weird. But after thinking about it, I think that's because our society still views BFing and pumping as something kind of gross/intimate/super private and I don't think it should be viewed that way.
SO I think I would try to overcome my initial reaction to be supportive of her normalizing breast milk as something NOT gross or weird. RE: room temp milk. I work in a school and I routinely finish pumping right before the bell and keep the milk at my desk until the next passing period when I can run put it in the fridge. So....45 minutes ish. And Kellymom says that's okay.
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@Anagram: I completely agree! Thank you!
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Wow that's strange. I don't think I would have felt uncomfortable, but I definitely would have thought it was odd.
@MoonMoon: To answer your question - yes I think this would be weird as well. If someone came into the meeting with a couple litres of cow's milk from the store, and just had it sitting on the table during a meeting, I think I would find it equally as strange. Maybe even more, because it's just not something you bring to a professional meeting.
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I pumped while meeting with another coworker once, so... No big deal for me, hahaha. FYI, she was totally cool with it.
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