Every working mom who continued to breastfeed after returning to the office is more than familiar with THE PUMP. We carried it to work every single day (in what was advertised as a “chic tote” but was really anything but), used it at least twice during the work day (“Gotta go! I have a meeting!”) and then prayed our bags of milk (aka liquid gold) wouldn’t burst or spill on the way home.
I remember that hideous nippleless bra that I couldn’t live without, but would want to run screaming if anyone ever caught a glimpse of me in it. At the beginning, I locked myself in my bedroom when I pumped at home because I didn’t want my husband to have the visual. But then flash forward six months later, and I was like, “I’m just going to pump right here at the kitchen counter no matter who is in the house and everyone can just DEAL.”
Still, I never got comfortable with it in the office. At the time, I was freelancing and often away on shoots, so I had to find more places to pump inconspicuously than I can count. Some more successful than not.
Here are 8 of my WORST pumping moments:
1) The time I left the pumping room with my dress tucked into the back of my pantyhose and didn’t realize my wardrobe malfunction until I had arrived back at my desk, which was two flights up and a city block away.
2) The time I had to pump in a glass office so I positioned a large piece of foam core on top of a chair to block anyone’s view and then watched in horror as it slipped further and further down the wall. I was plugged in and couldn’t move very much, so to remain out of sight, I ended up slipping further and further down too. By the end of my pumping session, I was pretty much sitting underneath the desk.
3) The time I didn’t fully close one of my bags of milk and didn’t discover this until I had gotten home from work and tried to transfer the bags to the fridge. There are few things worse than dipping your hands into a soggy bag of your own breast milk, and then realizing all that precious pumping time was WASTED. The clean up was no fun either.
4) The time I had to pump on a shoot while we were filming at someone’s house. The production assistant told me to pump in one of the bedrooms, which happened to be the bedroom of a little girl. It didn’t lock but I figured I was far enough away from where they were shooting that nobody would try to come in. I sat behind the bed, so you could only see my head if someone walked in, just to be safe. What I didn’t realize was that the occupants of the house were home. That is, until the mother opened the door and questioned what I was doing in her daughter’s room. I can’t even imagine how creepy I looked with only my head jutting up from behind her daughter’s bed. I explained and I guess she recognized the pumping noise, but it was more than a little awkward.
5) The time I had to find a place to pump at an office where there was literally nowhere to do it except the stairwell. I had a co-worker stand guard at the door but that didn’t protect me from people coming from above or below. Let’s just say, I did my business as quick as possible.
6) The time I pumped in a room that had a window which looked into another office, which appeared to be a wig maker. It was far enough away that he didn’t seem to notice me, so day after day, I used to watch him fit his clients for wigs while I pumped. Then one day, our eyes met and I made sure to pump in a different corner of the room, with my back to him after that!
7) The time I was pumping at home for Harlow while Mazzy was taking a nap. She woke up and started crying, but I was still plugged into the wall, mid-way into my pumping session. I remember yelling at her that I’d be there soon, while also being afraid that her screams would wake up Harlow. Splitting your time between two little kids is tough work and being literally attached to a wall by your nipples does not make it any easier.
And my #1 Worst Pumping Moment…
8) The time I was pumping in a gender-free bathroom and a man walked in on me. I was plugged into the wall with my pump resting on the sink, which happened to be right next to the door. The door opened directly out into reception. I can’t believe I forgot to lock it. When the guy walked in, he just stood there confused as to what he was witnessing, like he’d ever seen a woman pump in his life. I mean, I hadn’t either until I did it myself, so this is totally understandable. I tried to will him out with my eyes but when that didn’t work, I went to the slam the door shut in his face. This was thwarted for two reasons: 1) My sudden movement made my pump come crashing to the floor and 2) the door was one of those big metal pressurized doors that prevents it from slamming. I am not exaggerating when I say the whole thing literally happened in slow motion. It was mortifying. You can bet I stayed in there a good while until I thought it was safe to come out.
Despite all of these experiences, I am still grateful to my pump. And I did come to appreciate the time at work that I was able to spend focusing on my baby at home. It made me feel connected to her and like I was doing my best to be a good mom. It could also be a welcome break and a pretty damn good excuse to leave a room.
But, like most working moms who pumped, I always wished there was a better option than the bulky, noisy breast pump with the numerous parts that I carried back and forth. That’s why, when I found out about Willow, a new pump which fits into your bra (yes, your everyday bra that you already own!) with no external tubes, cords or dangling bottles to get in your way, I was intrigued. And by “intrigued,” I mean— I really wish they had invented this thing when I had babies!
Willow is quiet (read: you can use it during a conference call), simple and easy to clean (it has only two parts which are both dishwasher safe), and is completely mobile and hands-free. That means, not only can you check email while pumping, you can walk across the room to tend to your screaming toddler.
I wish I could test out the new Willow pump myself but since I can’t, I want to give one of you the opportunity to test it out for me. Leave a comment below sharing your worst pumping story or why you would love a Willow pump and I’ll randomly select one winner on March 15th!
WINNER UPDATE:
Congratulations to Georgia! Please email allie@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize!
Just promise me you’ll report back after you try it!
This sounds like an awesome invention!! I am due May 21, and I would love to be able to try this out!! No horror stories yet to share – but I’m sure I’ll have some (but maybe not if I win!)
My worst pumping story happened when I was back to work at my office, fresh from maternity leave. I’m lucky that I had my own office with a door, so I was able to pump in my office. BUT, my office door didn’t lock. I told everyone (co-workers, support staff, my boss) to not bother me if my door was closed. Since I never closed my door, I thought it would be a clear “do not disturb” signal.
Unfortunately, a co-worker was hired while I was on maternity leave. I had only quickly met him once when I returned to the office. He didn’t know about my “closed door” rule and, of course, walked in on me mid-pump. It was a great way to really make his acquaintance!
Also, since I wear dresses just about every day, I was always forced to basically undress in my office and pull my dress down to my waist. So I’m sitting topless in my chair when he walks in. I can imagine what he thought – naked woman, sitting in her office, wearing only that becoming nippleless, strapless bra, with milk bottles hanging off my boobs. I wanted to melt into the floor in embarrassment. But, at least he never made the mistake of walking into my closed door office again! And I learned my lesson and started barricading my door with a chair, to give it a little resistance if people tried to walk in.
Also adding that I’m currently expecting my second (due in the fall). I would love to try the Willow out, and hopefully avoid the same panic-inducing moment of having someone walk in on me while I’m undressed and pumping.
My pumping horror story consisted of a 1.5 hour commute each way to work and having to pump while driving down the road. While my travels were typically early in the morning or later in the evening, I would occasionally pull up beside someone and get the awkward glare. On one trip, I didn’t close the nursing cover on the side and got an especially large grin and wave from a toothless trucker. As I’m now pregnant with my second child, the Willow pump sounds like a dream come true!
My worst pumping story is when we had a fire drill… I work in an elementary school as the librarian. My office has huge windows leading out to the library. So I had to cover my windows with massive paper. And only had about 15 minutes between groups. Pumping was fast and furious. I had just gotten everything flowing well, and the fire alarm goes off. I’m pretty sure it’s a drill and I’m not responsible for any kids so I decide to stay put. Except missing people during a fire drill are frowned upon so when they entered the building the SRO was searching for me. The entire school was relived to know I was alive. I just had my third child. I need to start pumping and just can’t bring myself to do it yet. I can’t be attached to a wall and responsible for 3 little people! Plus with this I could easily go out for fire drills and even pump while shelving books!
I’ve been fortunate that I don’t have horrible pumping stories but one time I did have to take a conference call with 20 men and women, including my male boss, and didn’t know that I wasn’t on mute. They could all hear the pump running during the entire call! Willow will help me avoid these embarrassing moments because it will be quiet enough that those on the phone won’t be able to hear!
I don’t have a horrible pumping story but a great suggestion: check out Haakaa pumps. They’re little manual silicone pumps made here in little ol’ New Zealand and are amazing! And I’m not paid to say this. =)
Agreed! I just found out about it with my third and love it! Wish I had it with my other two!
My family had season tickets to our local pro football team and my mom and I were heading to a game when my oldest was maybe four months old. It was about an hour away from home so I fed the baby before leaving, we had lunch with a friend before we got downtown, then finished driving the 20 minutes to the stadium. We were cutting it close so I decided to pump while I was driving. I had a blanket over me so people in traffic weren’t horrified. We got closer to the stadium and at a traffic light, I unplugged and hand my mom the bottles to put in the cooler. With our season tickets came an amazing parking pass that is so close to the stadium that police dogs search the trunk and they do a sweep underneath to make sure that all is safe. So I pull up to the gate, roll down the window and remove the blanket to reach for the pass totally forgetting that I am still wearing the nipple bra and haven’t fixed my shirt. Before my mom could say anything, the look on the security guards face said it all. I wanted to die!!! Haven’t been to a game since.
My worst pumping experience was with my first child. My boss let me use her office to pump. I’d put up a sign saying do not disturb but their was also a window looking in. I had something that blocked most of the window unless you were really tall. One of my coworkers was really tall and was looking for my boss one day. I quickly tried to turn around to hide from his face peering in.
My baby girl was born a month early and had to stay in the nicu while I was sent home from te hospital. The first month was nothing but pump for me, but the hosital had e very good, yet vert large one from Medela. So I made sure I rented the same one for at home. It weighzd like a ton by the way, so traveling was kind of out of the question. I was either pumping at the hospital, or at home. The first night I got home, I was all emotional for leaving my baby behind and when it became time to pump for the first time, it turned out the place I rented it from forgot to include the wires and bottles and stuff… We went on a wild hunt, only to wind up at the hospital again. In tears of course. They let me pump there and I was allowed to borrow a set until I was able to go buy one for myself. She’s 6 months old now, still feeding her, but I have to go to work next month so this would be very welcome!
My worst pumping experience was with baby #1. My husband and I attended a wedding. I poorly assumed there would be a private place for me to pump. After having no luck finding a place we went back to the car and my husband used his suit jacket to shield me and my bare chest as much as possible. I pumped as quickly as I could as there were valets running among the cars who kept giving us strange looks. I just had baby #4 two weeks ago. My kids are all 5 and under, a Willow would be a lifesaver now and when I return to work in a busy office environment.
I’m expecting twins in June. This would be amazing to have on hand so dad could help!
My experience doesn’t seem that dramatics. I’m a teacher, so finding a space away from kids is always a challenge. Once I was pumping in our social workers office when a kid walked in. She got a glimpse and immediately walked out. She later told the social worker that I was a nasty lady and that I was doing something inappropriate in her office 😂😂.
I work in an extremely small office. It consists of 3 desks in the main room, my two bosses (husband and wife) in the back office with a door that closes and locks, a bathroom and then the rest is just an open warehouse space. I usually pump in the bathroom sitting in my desk chair as they are usually in the office. Well this day he was out on a job and his wife was out for the day, I thought oh awesome! I’ll pump in here. So about half way through pumping I hear our garage door in the back go up, and I panic. I yell out to my coworkers, “IS THAT CHRIS(my boss)?” and they say yep! So I hear him come in, go straight for his office door, thankfully I had locked it. He says “Whys my door locked?! Who’s in there?!” My coworker tells him, and he says “Ohh! No big deal, no big deal, I understand!”. But by this point I’m finishing up and feeling super embarrassed that I was in there when he came back. I guess he didn’t know we (one other coworker pumps as well) did that while he was gone in there (were the ones who send him on jobs so generally we know where he’s at/when he will be back). He totally doesn’t care now that he knows, but it was awkward to be the reason he found out. I’m 3 months in to my breastfeeding/pumping journey and this would be amazing to try!
My worst pumping moment was when I was pumping at work in an empty office. It was a shared office used for meetings. I had signed the office out & locked the door. I swear the pump I had was the loudest pump EVER. Someone knocked on the door & I yelled that it was occupied. They went away but little did I know they came back with the person in the office who had the key. So there I am pumping and the door is opened wide by two co-workers. I was & still am mortified!
I returned to work this week and am already annoyed with the pumping routine! My office is private (thankfully) but has big windows…I close the blinds but am always so worried someone will see me! The Willow sounds so much easier and I would love to give it a try. 🙂
With my first child, I almost exclusively pumped to the point where the sound gives me flashbacks. My worst story is probably the time I spilled the milk everywhere and by the time I got home, everything, including me smelled like spoiled milk. I’m now preparing to return to work in April from my second child and hoping things go smoother. This looks amazing.
I don’t quite have a horror story yet since i’m still on maternity leave until Monday but would love to try this. I have twins and have been pumping like its my job for the past 5 months averaging like 29 hours a week. it would be great not to have wires crossing with their little legs when i feed them and pump at the same time!
I’m an engineer and travel frequently for work to test devices with the physicians who will be using them. Since being back to work, I have pumped in numerous bathrooms (including on airplanes!), in the back of a rental car being driven by my MALE coworker, in a microscope room next to where we were doing some evaluations, and, my personal favorite: at a picnic table at a rest area. Other than the usual being walked in on a few times and awkwardly explaining the “WHRRR WHRRR” everyone is hearing on the conference call, my most horrifying pumping experience was been accidentally leaving the camera on my laptop uncovered during a formal presentation I was giving remotely
No terrible horror stories here, but I am a teacher and luckily can pump in my classroom. The window on my hallway door is huge, so I made a curtain to cover it. I was always TERRIFIED my door wasn’t locked properly and a student would open it, but luckily every time I heard the doorknob jiggle and try to turn it held!
The most uncomfortable time was when I pumped on a bus on the way to a field trip with 40 some kids in the seats behind me! :O The willow would be amazing to have this second time around! I’m due in April!
I needed to pump at a wedding reception in a very small town. The best option was to pump in my car. While pumping a guy left the bar and decided he needed to use the bathroom before going to the next stop. So he peed right in front of my car never noticing me sitting there.
I’m a teacher, so when I plumped with my first, I locked my classroom door and placed a sign saying I was having a private meeting on the outside of the door. Mid-pump I hear the door unlock and in walks a playground supervisor and one of my students (eek!) to retrieve a forgotten lunch. I was speechless! After an excruciatingly awkward few seconds, she realizes what I am doing and ushers the student out and then comes back in to keep looking for the lunch box!! I managed to find my voice and told her I would bring it down to the student when I was done. I had to keep revising my note to discourage entry until I eventually put tape over the key hole. Still gives me nightmares. I’m on maternity leave now and I can feel my blood pressure rising !
I just had a baby (my 3rd) and would love to try the Willow out, I’m going back to work soon and won’t have a great private area for pumping so this looks amazing. In my last pregnancy I was pumping at work, it was one of the first times I had pumped in public and not at home. It was a small space so I had everything propped up just so, and a note on the door saying the room was being used, as there was no way to lock it. As I’m getting into my pumping groove, there’s a knock on the door. I go to shout not too come in and the door opens without waiting for my response! A co-worker with a client behind her, looking for some equipment. I jumped up so fast to cover myself that my pump and my bag crashed to the ground. It was so awkward, thankfully they left the room immediately after that!
This looks amazing! I’m currently pregnant and dreading pumping at work after a few horrible experiences with my first. This post made me laugh out loud. Thanks for reminding us all to lighten up and laugh at ourselves every once in a while.
My worst pumping experience was on a business trip. I was unable to find time to get away from meetings to pump as much as I needed to during the day, and it was the first time being away from my son for more than a full day. This meant that I was exclusively pumping during the trip while not pumping as often as necessary. The result was clogged ducts that led to mastitis, also due in part to the fact that the pump didn’t empty my breasts as well as my son did while nursing. I returned home from the trip with miserable flu-like symptoms and missed a week of work. Treatment included injected and oral antibiotics. I’m looking forward to investing in better pumping options (such as Willow!) with my next child, who is due in July.
I’m due with my second this summer. I’m nervous already about going back to work and pumping. This would make the transition so much better!
My baby was born with a cleft and latch fully so I pump around the clock to provide her with breast milk…on more than one occasion I have been home alone with her and had to disconnect from the pump to take care of her BUT my worst moment was at work where I coach college students with Autism. I use a room that locks but the walls are thin. I had a male student try to come in and then loudly ask what I was doing, proceeding to have an awkward conversation with me through the door about what I was doing and why. Then another student walked up and was curious. Explaining breast pumping to teenage boys was horrible!
Ahhh the dreaded pump! As a mother of now three, that pump would be so useful and make parenting so much easier. I wish I had an embarrassing story about pumping, but my kids do love lifting my nursing cover in public for everyone to see!
The only thing I can think of is when my 4 year old walked in on me pumping! Her eyes got so big, like WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE! I’ve always had a safe space to pump, and I have never forgotten to lock the door ha ha! Your stories made me laugh lol
I’m due April 25 and would love this! I’ll be going back to work at 6 weeks and would love something more convenient than my Medela! Plus I’m one of your biggest fans…..as are my girls!
Oh man! I had a day of interviews lined up for a higher job at my place of work. First day away from kid for interview, at about 4 weeks postpartum. Didn’t get a chance to pump all morning, and was constantly worried during interviews that I would start leaking. I awkwardly ask my next interviewer, an older gentleman who happens to be the division chair if I can pump before we chat. He graciously agrees, and in fact, offers me his office to pump. He comes back and knocks 8 mins later asking if I’m ready, clearly enough to JUST start pumping but not be done. I feel like I can’t tell him no, so say yes, just a minute! Quickly stop pumping and clean up, only to spill 4 oz of breastmilk all over his desk and his mail. I SPILLED BREASTMILK ALL OVER THE BOSS’ MAIL, RIGHT BEFORE HE WAS ABOUT TO INTERVIEW ME FOR A JOB. Guess who is still my boss? Guess who has to make eye contact with him still?! I would love a Willow!
I was pumping in a conference room that didn’t have a lock on the door. While most people knew not to walk in there while the door was closed, I once had a guy walk in on me while I was attached to my pump! Luckily, I was with my back facing him but it was more than uncomfortable. And to think what he imagined I was doing….. But, we all survive!
I don’t really have a pumping horror story, but I would love a pump like this! I’m pregnant with my 2nd child and I ended up not pumping for my 1st because it was such a hassle at work. I’m in cubicle-land and all of our meeting rooms have glass doors, making it so hard to find a private space. Being able to quietly pump at my desk would be amazing.
Back at work for 2 months, after many trials and errors with flange sizes and a battle to get my milk supply back up, I felt like I really had this whole pumping thing figured out!
UNTIL, one morning (after a very sleepless night) my 9am meeting ran long and began to infringe on my 10:30am pump session. With VERY engorged breasts I ran to the mothers’ room, and assembled my pump as quickly as possible. Sweet relief as I began pumping!!! My letdown was legendary.
The problem? I forgot to attach my milk bags!!! Before my sleep deprived mind could recognize what was going on two large wet spots adorned my denim clad thighs. My jeans were soaked!!!
I spent the next half hour standing in the public Women’s Restroom with my pants off (washing them in the sink, then drying them under the hand dryer) and my button down shirt haphazardly tied around my waist – not really covering everything it needed to- proclaiming “Sorry! I’m a total mess!!!” to any woman who came in while simultaneously laugh-crying.
OOOOPS!
Wow! Willow sounds amazing! I am a momma to a 1.5 year old, who nursed until 16 months, which meant many days pumping! Tons of crazy times, but totally worth it.
I regularly pumped in my car due to lack of space to pump in my workplace. I have a very distinct car, so the employees I oversaw were always able to find me, no matter how far away I went. (They didn’t all know I was pumping when I went to my car.) One time, an employee came up from behind my car and banged hard on my window! It scared me and I jumped, which of course unhooked my pump tubes, and jostled everything enough to spill a bit. The employee at my window just stood there, confused and unsure what to do. I’m fairly certain I may have given him one of the sternest glares of irritation because after a moment of me looking at him, he quickly went away. My heart was still racing from surprise, and I could barely get any more milk the rest of my pumping session.
When I finished pumping and returned to work, I tried to ask this guy what he needed. He promptly brushed me off and briskly walked away.
I am expecting my second little one this summer and would love the opportunity to try out Willow for pumping this time around!!
My worst pumping moment was at my job about 3 years ago after my first son was born. I was a nurse working at a hospital in a major city. The only “Lactation Room” available was a physician on-call room that had a little computer desk set up next to a window with a chair. I didn’t bother with the bed because I didn’t want to ruffle the linens that someone would have to sleep on. I would plug my pump in under the desk and get to work. It didn’t bother me that the curtains were decorative and did not close, as there were no buildings level with my window where someone could potentially see in, and I was several floors off the ground. One day, to my horror, I looked up after fumbling to get my flanges on and my pumping bra arranged correctly to see a man looking at me through the window. He turned away quickly and appeared to be calling someone on a radio. I realized he was standing on a platform suspended by cables as he was washing windows on the outside of the building. He went to the next floor below after that.
I’ve never been so embarrassed!
I just went back to work and while I work in a large company that has well appointed lactation rooms my division has more of a start up vibe and hence we work out of a smaller building which has an open concept with no offices and glass conference rooms. The only office belongs to the HR woman (for confidentiality purposes) and she is currently on maternity leave. I’ve been using her office which has a nice lock and is secure. I had been pumping there happily and pretty much letting everything hang out for the first week before I looked around one day and realized that there is a security camera placed on the ceiling!!!! Needless to say I use a coverup and face a different wall when I pump now and hide my face every time I pass the security guy.
Two horrible stories to share and one will only be horrible to a fellow pumper.
1. I was allowed to use an empty office at work for pumping. It had a large window next to the door but had thick frosted stripes so i figured I was safe. It didn’t occur to me that the men I work with are tall enough to see over the stripes and peek right in. After the first awkward peeping tom (accidental, he didn’t even know I was a pumper) I taped paper to the glass all the way to the ceiling and sat with my back to the window.
2. I also pumped at home to keep my supply up. One night I took off the bottles, set them in the kitchen while I used the bathroom, and then went to bed. My tired mom brain completely forgot about the milk. I had to dump 10 oz the next morning. When I woke up and saw them sitting there i threw myself on the couch and started crying hysterically. My boyfriend just didn’t understand the big deal. I wish I could say I learned from my mistake but I did that at least twice more during my time pumping.
We are planning for our second and I plan to be a stay at home mom and start a business from home. Having the Willow pump would be a complete game changer.
I’m currently pumping for my second child that was just born two weeks ago. However, I pumped for over a year with my first baby while teaching second grade. I always locked my classroom door during lunch to make sure that my pumping session was uninterrupted. This didn’t stop both a janitor and a tech guy from unlocking my door to both my screams of terror and the sight of my nipples being stretched to crazy proportions. I decided to post a handmade sign on the door to ALSO discourage key-holders from entering my room during pumping sessions. In uppercase letters, I wrote “PUMPING- DO NOT ENTER” on my copy paper sign and taped it to the door. Wouldn’t you know, a few days later, a substitute janitor that didn’t speak English unlocked my door and witnessed a crazy nipple show. She stared at my boobs in horror, very quickly apologized in Spanish, and ran from the room. I definitely added a translated warning on my sign after that incident. Here’s to hoping that less of the school employees see my nipples when I return to work after maternity leave this time around.
I’m sure there are some doozies but just a few months ago a male colleague called while i was pumping and while I now have the luxury of a locking office of my own (!!!! No more weird 70’s bathroom vestibule) I didn’t think anything of answering the phone. He asked if it was a printer. Embaraased, i said yes. He asked if it was like a really old (like 25 year old) printer. I was embarrassed so I said yes.
And then there is always the uncomfortable “pump fart” noise your boob makes…..
Pumping in the bathroom at Newark airport in front of a steady stream of other passengers. A close second would be any of the several times I went on all-day interviews while pumping and had to explain the situation and find a time/place to pump in between interviews, teaching demos, and meetings with university higher-ups. But the Newark bathroom was pretty bad.
Due in September with #2. I work from home and have been thinking about if I’ll be able to pump without having the tell-tale squeek audible over the phone…sounds like Willow would solve my problem!!
I’m a first time mom and just went back to work two weeks ago. It’s been quite a pumping adventure already in just that short time! One example is having to leave a 2 hour meeting half way through so I could go pump, calling in, and having to do a dance of reduce the suction to reduce the noise and unmuting myself when I had to speak about something!
When my daughter was born I was working in media relations for a large sheriff’s department. After returning from leave I was assigned to oversee the taping of two documentaries — one requiring me to spend countless hours in the jail, and another out in the streets with our gang units. I couldn’t lug around a big electric pump so I bought a manual pump that I could tuck in the pocket or my cargo pants on the go. I had tons of awful bathroom and gross closet pumping experiences, but my worst pumping nightmare is still legendary among the group of gang cops… we were stuck out on surveillance of a drug deal that ended up several hours delayed. Stuck with a film crew in the back seat of a crown vic I was forced to sit — in front of EVERYONE — and manually pump each engorged boob while the group of guys made every inappropriate comment possible. Thankfully my bulletproof vest has velcro at the shoulders for easier access, but the misery of hand pumping for 20 minutes each boob, not just once but twice in one day, while listening to all the immature jokes and waiting for a stupid drug dealer is a pumping experience I’ll never ever forget!
What a fitting post to read as I’m hooked up to the pump now! This is my second baby and I’m happy to say I don’t have any horror stories. I’ve pumped everywhere from bathrooms to the back seat of a carpool – heck, I have pumped while driving to work myself – 30 minute commute is perfect.
Pumping to me is a cathartic experience. We lost our first baby and I was lucky enough to have found Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England to donate my milk to babies in need. It was a wonderful way to honor our Luca. Our new baby, Olivia, was born 6 weeks premature and spend 3 in the NICU hooked up to feeding tubes – all fed with my milk! She is learning to latch now, but still gets most of her milk through the bottle – so I pump 6-8 times a day. My freezer stash is already piling up, so we’re hoping to donate again this time around!
Pumping isn’t fun, for sure, but I use the sessions as mini me breaks and read blogs I love and catch up on texting friends, etc. I’ve also mastered the baby sling to hold Baby Livi while hooked up to the pump (I’ve got a Spectra2 this time around so it’s portable and battery-powered) so I can do laundry, dishes, or just sit and chat with my baby. That said, it’s still a process! The Willow looks amazing – I’d love to try it out!
This seems like a wonderful invention and I would love to be able to use it. My 2nd baby is 8 weeks old and I am going back to work next week already! I would love the ease and hands free option this item promises!
I had a five day work trip to Venice Italy with my first and brought my pump. I had an adapter but the first time I plugged it in to pump the voltage blew! I wandered around Venice in tears looking to buy a new pump but couldn’t. And couldn’t fix the old one after many hours on an international call to the manufacturer . I ended up hand expressing into the bathtub during the breaks in the conference and every night and morning. My milk was so reduced by the time I got home it was basically the end of breast feeding. Still heartbreaking! I am hoping with my second little girl – born this November – to be able to breast feed longer. I go back to work in a week.
I’m due in a few months and it’ll be my first time trying out a breast pump.. I had no idea this one existed! Pick me! 😉
Wow! I had no idea such a thing existed. The nature of my job makes of very difficult to find time to pump in a discrete place, so this would make it a lot easier to pump and I would love to try it. The stress of pumping was not something I ancitcipated. Thank you for offering such a great giveaway!
Ironically my worst pumping moment happened yesterday while reading this very blog post so I had to come back and share. My 3 year old noticed the nail polish on her pointer finger had smudged, and even though I told her I would be down in 20 min when I was done pumping to help her and to sit tight until then, she took it upon herself to fix it alone – fast forward to me coming down after pumping to the strong aroma of nail polish and turning the corner to see purple nail polish all over my daughter and the dining room table. Fingers crossed I can get it covered by warranty when I call tomorrow! So yes a portable pump would have saved my table and my sanity!
I’m a nurse and, where I work, the pumping room is a super tiny space just big enough for a chair. Thankfully I work with mostly women and haven’t had bad stories there. However my worst pumping experience happened during a bachelorette weekend where I was the only mother… after drinking, one of the girls brought a guy back to the cabin and I desperately needed to pump… so there I sat in the corner with my cover while a 20-something drunk man questioned what I was doing and why I needed to pump when my daughter wasn’t even there 🙈 After I finished he took the clean flanges and put them (over his shirt) on his own nipples as a joke and didn’t understand why I washed them again 🙄 expecting my second now and I would love something easier for car pumping, charting and pumping, etc.
My worst was when I was working as a middle school teacher in a middle school in a VERY low income community. I was sitting in a supply closet and I watched as a cockroach climbed out of the drain, across my lunch plate (no more ham sandwich 🙁 ) and then across my breast pump. I was just out of reach to be able squish, shoo, or scare it. And, I couldn’t even yell at it because there was a class going on in the room my supply closet was in. And to add insult to that day, that afternoon while I was pumping again, I had a kid walk in on me. Thank heavens that poor kid couldn’t see my front side. I am no longer teaching and we are hoping for another baby. A different pumping experience would be amazing this time around!
I had a horrible time pumping with my first daughter; it would take me 20 minutes on each side to get enough for a full bottle. I worked evenings and would pump when I got home while my daughter was still sleeping. One night I fell asleep on the couch while pumping and when my daughter woke up to nurse I startled and knocked the pump off spilling the 4 ounces I had gotten. I was so upset and spent the next hour after she nursed pumping another 2 ounces so that she would have something the following night while I was at work. I’m hoping my second goes a little better, but I’m going to be working full time this go around and am very nervous I won’t have enough supply.
My worst pumping moment happened just last week. I was pumping at my desk wearing a cover and co-worker I don’t work with much came in to chat, not work related, just chat. He talked for about 10 minutes and then worked up the nerve to ask what that noise was, I said I am pumping breastmilk. He paused, then continued chatting. I think he was trying to show he was ok with it, but I was so ready for him to leave! Meanwhile, my bottles fill up and leak all over my shirt and lap! I was soaked and smelled like milk the rest of the day! Not too mention what a waste!
I would love to try this pump. I’m in my first trimester, and i’ve heard many terrible pumping stories. I’m currently listening to my coworker pump through her closed office door, and i’m so incredibly anxious that this will be me. I keep thinking, it has to be easier.
Pumping did NOT go well with my first babe — I remember illogically sobbing (topless, of course) to my husband about how I just couldn’t do it anymore and how upset I was that my daughter wouldn’t have that bond with me (silly – because now I have a 2 year old permanently attached to me!)
I have high expectations for babe number two (due in August) and would love to try out the Willow!
I would love to win a Willow because let’s face it, pumping SUCKS when you have multiple kids! I’ve all but given up on pumping with my regular pump because I am never able to get a moment to do it! Someone always starts crying or is suddenly starving to death the second I get hooked up. IT NEVER FAILS. I’m hoping maybe the willow will restore my faith in pumping!
None of mine are as funny as this, but recently went on a vacation with my husband and left my 4 month old baby at home. We were coming back from the Bahamas and the only option was an international bathroom at the airport… I’ve pumped before in the airport with my nursing cover over me but for whatever reason I didn’t feel like I could do that here so I pumped in the bathroom and avoiding eye contact with every woman who walked in. I was so nervous when I was putting the milk into bags after that I spilled all over the counter. So odd because this was the 900th pumping session from the trip and clearly I was just ready to get home.
I feel so lucky to be able to breastfeed my second after having many setbacks with my first, but still feel like pumping is the worst! But still, it’s a necessary evil in my life currently. So would love to try this new product!!
I just had my second baby and would love to try this. What a great invention! My most awkward pumping experience with my first baby was when I was at a play with my nieces and the usher I asked had no idea what breast pumping was. After having to explain it to him he showed me to a closet where I sat on the floor with my nieces doing ballet moves in circles around me and laughing at my boobs.
I’m a mom of two (3yr and 18mo) and pregnant with my third. I exclusively pumped for my first, and pumped at work for many months for my second, so I know both of my medela pump-in-styles like the back of my hand. Besides countless ounces of spilled milk (and no, breast milk does not dry without a trace on your clothes), pumping us been a blessing for me as a working mom. I’m super interested to see how these tube-free pumps work, especially on breasts who have been through two rounds of breast feeding in the past (aka do they work with sag bags). Excited to try it!
This sounds amazing!! I would LOVE a Willow pump! This will be baby #3 for me and I could totally see this being useful when trying to pump while making sure three kids are all happy and not getting into trouble!
With 2 toddlers at home, my 3rd baby on the way and job working from home, I desperately need to be “hands free”! And can anyone relate to the horror of falling asleep while pumping? Horrible!
I think we’ve all confirmed that the worst part about pumping is other people. I am lucky to have a designated (although uncomfortable) pumping room in my building, but I have been told my little bags of milk I carry down the hall when I forget to bring my cooler bag are “biohazards” and that I should leave my bolidly fluid in it’s “natural container” whatever that means. The worst pumping experience I’ve had (because I really don’t have a lot of shame) was falling asleep while pumping and waking up to the realization that I 1) had been gone from my office for an hour, 2) missed a meeting and 3) had slumped down so each precious little spurt of milk was running right out of the freezer bag I pumped into and onto my office attire. The train doesn’t come except for at commuting time, so the three hour wait until the next train and the two hour ride home in a soaked pencil skirt and silk blouse was miserable. Now I need to fly across the country a few times since my best cousin is getting married in Cali, and the Willow sounds like the perfect travel companion.
These stories are hilarious! I don’t have a horror story yet, but I’m a mom to be and would love one!
I used to have a battery operated pump and it always seemed like when I needed it, I couldn’t find the little valve piece for the machine especially on road trips when the baby is screaming and I am rummaging through my bags and under the seat trying to look for it.
No horror stories here. With my first, I was sharing an office with a coworker. There was a large piece of furniture between us so she couldn’t see me but my pump was SO LOUD! I always felt so bad. Now pumping for my third and the Willow would be particularly amazing when I have to go to all day conferences and its just a pain trying to track down a semi-private place to set up the pump.
I was never able to pump after my daughter was born. I tried and stayed hooked up to a pump for what seemed like a period of time that lasted longer than my pregnancy and got maybe two mouthfuls each time. I’m due with baby number 2 in a couple of weeks and I would love a chance to try this pump out and not feel like a tired milking cow.
I just welcomed my second child. This would be so handy while chasing my 2 year old!
My first baby was born by c section after 44 hours of labour, and about 5 hours after the baby was born, the nurse had me trying to breastfeed, and when it didn’t work, I was strapped in the the biggest, loudest industrial pump ever seen. Literally two minutes after I was attached to this thing, my father-in-law walked in. I’m topless, haven’t slept in two days, and completely immobile. We didn’t look at each other for weeks!
I’d love to win this, as my second child is now two months old, and I need to start pumping to start building up a supply so I can start leaving the house again. Is the contest open to Canadians?
My worst pumping story was at a wedding. I just had my baby 2 months before and I was in the wedding. The reception was at an Elks Lodge/VFW type lodge and was told I could pump in the office area. I got all set up and started pumping when someone started knocking on the door. I couldn’t get up obviously and I was too far back in the room to yell at the door. Luckily they were unable to find the key until I was just about done. The guy walked in as I was packing up and looked at me like I had three heads and asked what I was doing in there. Luckily they had to search for the key or it would have been pretty embarrassing!!! I am currently trying for baby #2 and would love a pump like this especially when I go back to work!
The worst experience is the whole routine. Every. Single. Time. (Which is about 6-8 times a day)
The special pumping bra. All the time it takes to put that thing on. The look unflattering look of it. That you sort of have your hands free but not enough to pick up the crying baby.
Being a new mom is not just wonderful and amazing, it is also extremely challenging and difficult.
I’d love to keep feeding breastmilk to my baby, this whole pumping routine is tear-jerking discouraging. That’s why I’d love to try the new hands free Willow pump and I promise I will report back!
I’m due with my first child and already trying to figure out how and where I’ll pump. Worried about pumping on the go without an electrical outlet and having privacy. I’ve heard about this pump and would love to try it!
Can I enter for my sister? She’s a first time mom with a three-month old and a NICU nurse who’s been pumping in vacant hospital rooms or the bathroom since caring for two to three tiny babies doesn’t really allow her time to get down to the hospital’s designated pumping space. The Willow would be such a game-changer for her!
I have so many iconic and memorable moments of pumping. As a corporate working mother with my first. I had to travel for business to a couple big company meetings at Microsoft and cars in Chicago. I had flight delays leaving So Cal and had to pump in the bathroom at the airport with the plug plugged into the nearest outlet by the sink, the bag literally did not reach all the way over the stall door and my connectors barely hanging on stretched out as I hold on the bag that couldnt make it over the stall and being help by me by the straps over the stall door!
Then I had a great pumping room at microsoft but touchy on when I could go based on my big meeting that was ALL DAY together in a conference room with executives who are of course all men! sigh That room required a special badge to open that room which was another fun experience.
Then I had to fly to Chicago for another conference room all day meeting and unlike microsofts campus they did not have a pumping room and I just found an empty conference room with 180 degree floor to ceiling windows LOL….I sat on the floor facing the wall pumping, like I was in time out.
I would pump in my office and everyone walked right in not realizing I was pumping and working, I was behind a couple monitors so they couldnt tell but could hear some odd sound and would always wonder what that noise was, then theyd leave embarrassed. They could see my head and saw I was working not realizing I was multitasking 🙂 PUMPING SUCKS but I am so glad I was able to provide breast milk for my babes!
I have 2 daughters that just had their first baby. Both are breastfeeding and just returned to work. The willow would be great for them!
No horror stories thankfully! I would love to win this for when I have a second baby!
My newborn just turned 1 month old and is my second baby. With my first one breastfeeding was soo stresffful, production was almost none existing, plus mastitis hit pretty early so I gave up after just a few weeks. Second time around I have been exclusively breastfeeding but I’m dreading going back to work and having to pump. I’ve used the pump a couple of time just for practice, no embarrasing stories yet, so hopefully if I win this there will only be success stories and one happy little baby boy with his mommas milk.
My worst pumping story was breastfeeding at work. I was in a private bathroom and just as I was ready to finish and screw the cap on the filled bottle, I accidentally spilled the whole thing. I could have cried. Wasted time and no food for my baby!
I’m expecting twins this June, so a pulp like this would be wonderful to have!
As a flight attendant I was so worried about having to pump while flying. On my first flight back I asked so many other FA moms for advice. It was just a day trip but the flights were super short so I knew I would have to hurry up and serve all my passendtbwfore trying tonsqueese in a pumping session. I packed a ton of batteries since I couldn’t plug in on the airplane. I used a trash bag to cover the changing table in the lavatory and set up all my stuff on that. It was cramped and gross and I hated having to be in there so long standing up. Thankfully the other flight attendant was there to let people know the lav was occupied. Pumping in an airplane bathroom is just not cool. At. All
With #1 I exclusively pumped (8x a day!!) and it was exhausting. Worst moment was being hooked up cooking dinner in only leggings and my pumping bra when the front door swung open. Thinking it was just my husband I turned around to brag about how good at multi tasking I was when to my horror I realized he wasn’t alone. I still can’t look his friend in the eye…it was mortifying! Having just had twins 2 weeks ago I would LOVE a chance to try out the willow pump!!!!
After getting laid off from my job when my daughter was only 3 weeks old, I got to spend a lot more time with her at home than planned (silver lining!). When I finally did go back to work when she was 9 months old, it was a contract job that I hoped would turn into a full-time (ie more stable) job. My first day on the job (and first day at a new job in over NINE years), I was so nervous about asking about a pumping room that I put it off, and put it off, until my boobs couldn’t take it any longer. I finally snuck into a bathroom stall and got to work! Who knows what others thought when they walked in and heard the strange noises coming from the far stall, but at least I got the job done. 😉
I would love this for my next baby due in June!
When traveling for work with my second, I had a flight long enough to where I knew I’d have to pump mid-flight, so it being a not-full Southwest flight, I took my window seat and put my bag in the middle seat trying to buy myself some space. A young guy sat in the aisle and commented on my tactic, to which I responded that it would be necessary. When the time came and I was fumbling trying to assemble pump parts and hook up under a bulky nursing shawl, I think the guy regretted his seat choice just as much as I wish he wasn’t there either.
I would love to try this out with my new little girl *arriving in about 6 hours by c-section* because it might save me from a repeat of my worst pumping session. I was at work (like many others) pumping in a room that purported to lick and was specifically designated the “mothers room” for just that purpose. I am a public defender and in all of their infinite wisdom the higher ups chose one of our client interview rooms to use for this purpose just slapping a sign on the door. A co-worked began looking for an empty room to interview a new client in. And whipped open the door. There I sat, just too far from the door to slam it shut staring at his face…and the face of his new client (and my former one). He hastily attempted to pull the door shut again before scurrying off but did not pull hard enough so it slowly worked its way back open. I was quite the milk producer at the time and would have been a mess had I stopped the session. Several walked by and apparently thought their embarrassment was less than my own as No ONE bothered fixing the door. Worst moment ever.
My worst was at a National work conference. We were meeting in a community’s City Council chambers and the only room they had was right behind the wall where the council members would sit. So there I am in this storage closet next to the percussion instruments (not sure what kind of Council meetings they have 😜). The door didn’t lock so the conference organizer sat outside the door working on her laptop while I’m sure the whole group could hear my pumping sounds. The Willow might not make these awkward locations go away, but would be great to reduce the noise and be more portable.
Once I was pumping in a bathroom stall (using the oh so useless battery pack) when a woman walked in and recognized the sound and apparently thought I needed entertaining and stood there and talked to me about breastfeeding, children, sex after children while all I wanted was to pump and zone out for 15 minutes.
I don’t have a terrible story…yet. But I am actually completymy very first pumping session now…jeez Pete I hope this gets easier!
A year ago I was working as a admin assistant one day a week for a talent agency. I only went there in Thursdays and I only had 2 coworkers and they were 2 guys in their 20s, not married and not even thinking about kids yet. We were (and still are) very good friends and they understood that I was breastfeeding and had to pump twice during my day at the office. However they were still young guys and it still made them very unconfortable. The office only had one room, the owners office. I normally pumped in the bathroom, but it was one girls bathroom for the whole 10 offices of the building. So every time someone needed to go in while I was pumping it felt terrible having to let them know that I would be in there for 15 minutes. So they had to wait.
That day, the owner had announced that she wasn’t going. So I sneeked into her office and let my coworkers know what I was doing and to leave me alone for 15 minutes. Everything was fine until the water truck arrived. Every single empty water bottle was inside the owners office. I was plugged in with a Medela PISA. It’s not easy to get out of! So I had to throw a cardigan on to cover myself and unplug everything while my coworker (embarrassed AF) had to go in to get the empty water bottles and leave the filled ones. To make matters worse, as soon as I opened the door 3 or 4 other people came waltzing in the office only to see me with my pointy nipples awkwardly behind a white cardi. I wanted to die.
My worst time is when when I was pumping while driving. I know it’s probably not the safest thing to do but living is south Florida, you spend about half of your day sitting in traffic so I had to use my time wisely. Although I had a cover on, I still looked very weird to any other cars who thanks to traffic, can stare for about 10 minutes before traffic moves again. I still had to pump a few more times in the car, but I would do it when my husband was driving so I could pump in the back seat.
This would be great for pumping at the office! I’m expecting my second and not looking forward to office pumping sessions. I find the hands-free pumping bras did not work well for me – could never get a good enough seal and ended up with leakage – ended up having to type one-handed and/move conference calls so that the sound wasn’t too loud. Certainly not a horror story, but something that makes me very motivated to try the Willow.
I can’t even count how many awkward pump stories I have! I was in grad school my first time pumping so I often had to pump in bathrooms between class. So I brought an extension cord and ran it into a stall. Then everyone who came in said “what is this cord? What is that weird noise? Why is the cord going into this stall?” While I pretended that I didn’t hear them. During my internship at an elementary school, I also had another teacher walk in on me pumping and she had a student with her! I had the door locked but she used her key and didn’t knock!
When I was breastfeeding my second baby, I worked at a counseling/mental health agency. Our counseling services included supervised sessions with student therapists who were doing clinical hours to earn their licenses. The supervised sessions took place in offices side-by-side with a two-way mirror so that the supervisor could watch the therapy session. Since my own office cubicle was in a shared open space, I usually found a therapy office that was available with no upcoming appointments scheduled in it to pump. One day as I was pumping in an office, there was a knock on the door – it was the receptionist letting me know that I was in an office with a 2-way mirror and that a session was happening in the office on the other side of the mirror. Needless to say, that therapy client had a very unusual session that day, haha.
There are some mortifying stories here! I had luck breast pumping and luckily did not have any bad experiences to share!
I worked at a university and was pumping in an empty office in our HR suite. After I was done, I’d have to take my pump to the common area in the suite to wash it out in the sink. I always tried to do this as fast as possible. One day I had just started washing my pump parts when one of our male VPs came walking through and needed something near the sink. He says to me, “Ahh, the ol’ pump-a-roo! We have three girls. I know what that’s all about.” I can’t imagine how red my face must have been.
First of all this is amazing and I wish I knew about this 10 months ago when I started my journey having to exclusively pump 😭 however, my child did finally figure how to latch on and while breastfeeding has been mostly wonderful, pumping has brought me quite a few of my most embarrassing moments. I’d have to say the worse was when I was once pumping and even due to having a sign on the door, someone still managed to dismiss it completely and walk in, in a hurry to cover myself I spilled 5 ounces of milk…this was also the first time I cried over spilled milk. The person was so confused, screamed “I’m sorry” Ran out and left me, my spilled milk and my openly chillin’ nipples in utter confusion and frustration. I later received an email from said person that they knew a better room I could pump in with a lock. Um duh! Oh and there was that time I told someone I would need to reschedule a meeting since I had to pump and he looked at me so seriously and said “pump what” oh dear God! Make it stop!
As a teacher, without a classroom closet it so hard to find a place to pump! My giant milk stained black bag is lumbered in and out of my office as needed and hands free would be a godsend! Quick pumping while working would allow me to write my IEPs, converse with parents, or grade without getting tangled in cords.
My worst pumping story took place at my previous school, I was not given a designated pumping room and had to pump in a hallway bathroom, the single stall that everyone went to when they’d finished their coffee. It was not connected to the heating or cooling system so I was baking or freezing!! One day the floor drain backed up with horrible black goo so I went to pump in our supply closet, although I locked the door anyone with a key could enter so of course the principal walked in right as I was doing the pre pump massage… SOOOO mortifying!
Ps. I’d happily report back my findings!
I had to fly halfway across the country for a client meeting, and of course my flight got delayed after we had already boarded. I pumped in the airplane bathroom, but didn’t have time to pump at the airport once we landed, or I would be late for my meeting. I asked for a mini van taxi and worked up the nerve to tell the driver that I needed to sit in the WAY back and pump. He was so nice about it — it turned out he had a daughter close in age to mine, but that also meant he kept talking to me and looking back in the rear view (conversationally) the entire time. He didn’t mean to be creepy but it was the longest, most awkward — and most precarious ride of my life! Now I have #2, I’m reminiscing about all the awkward places I’ve pumped — the Willow sure would make it easier!
My worst pumping experience was with my first child. I was in nursing school and had to pump throughout the day. Unfortunately I had run the batteries down on my pump and had to plug in. My professor said I could borrow his office. I guess he forgot I was in there and came barging in mid pump with several students. After that I would just pump in my car during lunch or while driving home (I lived over an hour away from my school without traffic). Like another mom mentioned, I got plenty of looks in stop & go traffic. This was before nursing covers existed. I’m now on baby number 5 and about to start pumping for her. I would love to try the new Willow pump. With 4 other children to chase around, it would be great to be free handed!
I’ve got a pumping take to share! I was teaching in traditional church preschool and was given one break to pump. Sadly the old building didn’t have a very private or appropriate place for me to do so. Reluctantly, I would sit in an old tiny office/ choir storage room packed full of dusty choir robes and sheet music. The door was half glass and didn’t close fully. One day as I had just settled in to pump I was startled as a gentleman entered the room unaware that I was there. What was even more surprising is that I quickly recognized he was an exterminator and was spraying the baseboards and dusty corners with pesticide! I snapped out of my surprise and uttered…”hello…I’m in here” and he quickly exited. I was left inhaling pesticide fumes! I’m now a mom to baby number two and thankfully no pump from a storage closet but would absolutely love to try this pump!
I live in Honduras, and when I had my firstborn, almost 3 years ago, I hadn’t bought a breast pump in advance. So my husband ran to the store to buy one, and there were only manual breast pumps… so thats what he bought. ughh awful experience, it is so tiring.. I only used it for a little while. Never Again!
By the way, if I win, you don’t have to send them all the way to Honduras if it is complicated. I have relatives in the US 🙂
I’m a teacher and a student walked in on me pumping! 😩😩
No horror stories here. With my first I tried pumping but being a teacher I didn’t have the coverage to be able to pump as many times as I needed. I ended up stopping pumping and just fed her when we were together. I am due with our second in August and will return to work after about 6-8 weeks and this would be a great thing to have to be able to pump quickly while getting other work done.