"Mama Medela," as I like to call my breast pump! 
As I mentioned last week, I have now begun my 20 hrs. a week at home/20 hrs. a week working in my transition to part-time InterVarsity Staff.
So far, so good with all the myriad of snafu’s you can imagine.
Last week, when I had an all day meeting in Grand Rapids I remembered to bring the breast pump ~ hurrah!
Unfortunately, I forgot to bring enough bottles to pump the milk into, and kept having to wash them over & over again. I also forgot once and skipped a session. Not good for milk production.
Today, I had an all day meeting in Battle Creek at a Panera. This time I remember the pump, but forgot several things: enough bottles to pump into, the carrying case for pumped milk, the freezer packs & something to clean them with for multiple pumping sessions.
Also, I sent Rhys to daycare with nothing but the clothes on his back. ay ay ay. It is scatterbrain city over here.
Once I expressed the milk the first time I realized the issue. The water in the woman’s bathroom was ice cold and I was using hand soap to clean it all on nasty, unsanitized sink surfaces. Then, there was no paper towels so I had to use toilet paper to dry it all –yuck.
Fortunately, it is butt cold here in MI, so the expressed milk did fine in the car.
Funny thing is, I fed Rhys at 1am this morning. As I turned over and expected to fall dreamily back to sleep I remembered one terrible fact:
I left the freaking breast milk in my Mama Medala case, (without the carrying case or frozen packs) in our office –for the last 8 hours! All that work for nothing. All of that unrefridgerated breast milk, gone to waste. Arrrghghgh.
It’s been over 3 years since I’ve had to think about all this when I was working full-time while my 1st born, Ransom was nursing.
I am, however, committed to making this work. When Ran was little I pumped in airports, in McDonalds bathrooms, all over campus, in the car in the winter, on floors of conference centers –where ever I could get the job done. I also breastfed Ransom in all of those places and dragged him cross country with me on IV trips. It was glorious.
I must pump now if I want to do the same with Rhys. In fact, he’s going to be joining me for a conference in Atlanta in early March.
Of all of the things about having a very young infant, breastfeeding is what I love the most. (parent directed breastfeeding might I add). I cherish that time and if I have to pump to make it keep working, by golly that is what I’m going to do.
Eventually, I’ll remember to bring everything “Mama Madela” requires of me.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
It makes me smile when mamas love nursing… it’s my favorite also!
I agree. I love nursing Matthew. I STILL regret weaning Charley at 6 months…it was a horrible mistake that I wonder if I’ll ever get over/forgive myself for. I look forward to nursing Matthew for at least a year and yep, for this part-time workin’ mama that also means mama medela is my bff, lol. I’m sorry about the breast milk though, that sucks. I always think of it like “liquid gold”! Alright, now you’ve inspired me to post about this on my blog…
ah, I remember those days! I actually liked the hand pump better when I was expressing for Reuben. There were so many places I pumped- starbucks bathrooms, library bathrooms, random rooms in churches that no one was using. The best part about our job is that often we can take the little guys with us & bring a caregiver along to meetings. It was the best when I could nurse Reuben & Dave could come to those meetings. The “hooter hider” was also my best friend in those days! It is anguish when in the tired haze you forget to refrigerate the milk- I can remember doing that a few times too.
the ‘hooter hider’ hillarious!
I love nursing toooooo. I take my pump in style bag with me to work and with concentration and a few pics on my camera phone I can pump 6-10 oz in about 15-20 min. I have not forgotten to refrigerate but I would just die if I did. Pumped milk is like gold. Today one of my managers peeked into the window of the room I pump in and mouthed “what are you doing” I gestured back by squeezing my hands toward my breast and mouthed “pumping” He died inside of embarassment and I LOL.