August is National Breastfeeding Month, and we can think of no better time to talk a little bit about one of our favorite topics: pumping. Did you know that according to theĀ Department of Labor, employers do not have to provide dedicated spaces or lactation areas for nursing mothers? Well the good women at MomsRising want to change that, and they've started a campaign using the Twitter hashtag #ipumpedhere to show the many odd — and downright dirty — places moms have had to set up shop in order to pump at work.
Take this mom, who jokes, "On this episode of 'Cribs' we take a look at the glamorous bathroom/storage closet that is my pumping domain today."
She adds, "This is the clean half."
Or this mom, who had to pump standing up in her office bathroom.
That outfit is good, but that lack of pumping space is not.
Then there's this mom, who had to pump next to a woman smoking a cigarette.
On Instagram, she writes, "Pumping in the Denver airport bathroom … wasn't the highlight of my work travel experience."
This mom just wanted a safe space to pump at work.
And this mom didn't realize she needed to book a space.
"No nursing rooms after security and @delta wouldn't allow me to use the #SkyLounge," writes Instagram user Stefanuch.
In this degrading turn of events, this mother had to create a makeshift pumping station for herself IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIRPORT. She adds, "So much for #delta supporting #breastfeeding mothers."
Twitter user Cherl OT is a school occupational therapist who had the misfortune of having to pump at school.
She writes, "Classroom bathroom, no outlet. Students curious about the noise."
*DIES*
Breastfeeding shouldn't be this embarrassing!
That's why MomsRising aims to combat the stigma of pumping in public and encourage workplaces to have safe, discreet, and comfortable pumping spaces.
They recently went to Capitol Hill armed with milk bags filled with candy (because breast milk is "liquid gold") and a pamphlet filled with women's stories about how difficult it is to pump while working.Ā
In fact, according to an article in USA Today, American women often give up pumping once they go back to work because it can be intimidating to have to ask for special accommodations. Think about it; you need to set up, pump, store your milk, and then put everything away multiple times a day … Not an easy thing to ask your employer. Though it is illegal for them to discourage you from asking to do so!
MomsRising even gives out free #IPUMPEDHERE stickers so that nursing mamas can highlight all the compromising locations where moms have to pump.
Hopefully having a clean, private pumping space will become the norm. Until then, it's important for women to keep sharing their stories. Unfortunately, this is just another day in the life for a new mom.
