A Moment of Panic

Yesterday I started the first of three days of meetings with 30 men and me (I'm used to it by now). I fed Norah at 7AM and headed out. Dinners were scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday as part of the meetings, so I knew I wouldn't see Norah that night. Seth took her to be with my parents at my sister's house, will work from home today so he can have daycare duty, and will take her to be with my parents again tomorrow.

I had previously scoped the scene to figure out where I would pump, and discovered a private stall in the women's restroom, complete with a sink and outlet. I would never choose to pump in a restroom, but I couldn't come up with any other options.

When I arrived yesterday morning I put the pump in the corner of the restroom. Throughout the morning I used the restroom and noted the pump sitting safely where I had put it. Just before 11AM I snuck out of the meetings between presentations to pump, but when I got to the restroom my pump was gone. Heart beating...faster...faster...faster...

Yes, it is the only restroom on the floor, so I knew others would be using it. Yes, I knew it was a risk putting it in there. But I did it anyway. I snuck back into the meeting room to get my badge, and went down to the security desk with the hopes that someone had turned it in. Nothing. They suggested checking with building management. Success! The cleaning lady had turned it in.

I found a safer place to put the pump, but only managed to pump once over lunch, then not again until 5:30. I went to dinner, got home at 9PM and will be back in meetings all day today, again trying to squeeze in a little pumping action. I figure I won't be able to pump as much these three days, but at least we have a three day weekend coming up so I can try to make up for it by feeding Norah more frequently.

I am actually surprised that I haven't had more situations like this where I have to use a little creativity to figure out how I am going to pump. There have been some times where I had clients in from out of town and we blocked off entire mornings or afternoons to meet one-on-one. I guess my approach on those days was typically just to skip the pumping. Luckily it hasn't happened enough to be a big deal.

I am so over the pump, yet at the same time very motivated to keep pumping because I have had such a positive experience nursing Norah. I am not ready to be done. We're 10 1/2 months into my goal of 1 year, so I'm not about to stop now.