Need suggestions for sign?

[anamika]

Hi all,
I'm just loving this message board. It is so great to hear from other BFing moms.
I love hearing about your milestones - making it to a year and past!! Congrats Lana! Hope I can say that next Oct.
Anyway, I have to go back to work :( FT in Jan and I will be pumping at work. I will be using an empty office that people are used to walking in and out off (we store catalogs and other useful stuff in there). I need to put up a sign warning people not to come in when I'm pumping. So I was hoping to get some funny sign suggestions from people like 'Boob juice being made'.
TIA,

[dr mom]

Is there a lock on the door? I personally would find it very difficult to relax enough to get a letdown if I was worried about someone walking in on me!

I wrote "Please Do Not Disturb" on an index card and taped it to the doorknob when I was pumping, since my office opened onto a very public corridor and I didn't want to broadcast what I was doing to everyone who walked by. If you work in an office where people will have more of a sense of humor about it, you might put up a picture of a dairy cow. It makes the point in a funny way, but isn't TOO explicit. "Boob juice" may be TMI for some people. ;)

[jubilee]

It is funny, but I agree "boob juice" wouldn't be comfortable in a working environment. If a male co-worker said something about boobs, he'd be fired in a second at my employment. It is such a fine line. Anyway, just a "Do Not Disturb: Mommy Business" would be pretty clear, but I'd likely just go with Do Not Disturb.

[anamika]

Hi all,
Yes, I realize I can't mention boobs or anything explicitly (it's a really informal setting but even then) so I was hoping for other suggestions.
Thanks,

[ALLEYCAT]

I work in a male dominated field, (emergency services) and it was easiest to just get it out in the open right from the start. Um that did not sound right I know. Anyway, things can get pretty hectic here and I have to leave at times to go pump when I normally would not dream of excusing myself. To break the ice I just let my supervisior know I am "going to the barn" Dairy Barn that is. Someone printed off a photo of a cow and another drew a pic to hang on the door. There are 2 doors to my barn, talk about not being able to relax!
Just so you know, sometimes people overlook the signs after awile so it is best if you can lock the door or maybe put up a screne of some kind. We moved a shelving unit to block the view in case someone forgot. They also put in a small fridge and I put the whole bag, pump, bottles and all in there when finished so I don't have to wash everything several times a day. That is the best trick I learned here!
You know your office environment best and what they can tolerate, if they are easy going the barn might work, if more formal you should probably stick with what the others have suggested.

[anamika]

Hi all,
The idea of the dairy cow seems really funny and gets the point across!! Perfect, thanks!
The office does have a lock but I think enough people will come and try the handle and that's not very relaxing either. I'm hoping the sign will warn them.
I work in a research lab (pretty nasty chemicals) so right now I'm looking for a 'clean' sink. I can't reuse the pump without washing it first, right? Or can I?

Thanks again.

[ALLEYCAT]

Yes you can reuse the pump wiyhout washing if you refridgerate it between each session. I did not have a "clean" sink either and someone finally suggested this as a solution. I never would have thought of it myself but it was like a light bulb. We cool and reheat milk, why not the pump and collection bottles? At a feweeks I would take the collection bottles and horns home every night. Now at 14 months I wash them every other day. Milk tays good infridge 6-8 days depending on who you read, I figure the pump is the same. What tpe pump do you have?

[ett]

At my former workplace, the female coworkers who pumped in their office just put a sign that said "Mother at Work" on their doors when they were pumping.

[anamika]

Hi,
Thanks for the info, Leslie. I have the Medela PIS Advanced. I think I will just leave them in the fridge between pumping sessions - it will save me some time too :)
I'm so happy to hear that other moms have gone back to work and managed to keep up BFing for a year or more. Lately, I've been worrying about keeping my milk supply and how long it will last when I pump only twice at work and other stuff like that. So it's reassuring to see that other moms have been able to do it.
Thanks everyone,

[stillplayswithbarbies]

If you can only pump twice a day at work, your supply may not last. You need to be able to pump at the same times baby would be nursing. I started out pumping once at home before baby woke up and three times at work. Eventually I was able to go to three times a day and ultimately to once a day after she turned 1.

I leave for work at 7:30 AM and get home at 6:30 PM. If your hours are shorter you might not need to pump as much.

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
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