Next week, I have a flight to interview for a new job. It's suppose to be a 1-day round trip: leaving in the morning, interview that afternoon, return home that evening. Here's my problem--I'm still nursing our 7 month old. I currently pump at various times throughout the day... I definitely dont want potential employers to know how young my baby is, at least not in the first face to face interview. So asking to pump at the offices of the interview is not an option. Does anyone have any ideas on where to pump at the Atlanta airport?! I don't even know if there are electrical plugs in the airport restrooms. I have a manual pump, but not really looking forward to manually doing it... I guess I could if I had to.
I've thought of 4 options:
1) pump in the restroom of the airport with the manual pump. Take my electric pump if I can find an outlet.
2) pump in the rental car (with manual pump or try and find car adapter plug).
3) find a Baby's R Us and visit their nursing room (and hope there is an electrical plug!)
4) pump in the am before leaving, avoid drinking lots of water, and go through the day without pumping until I get home in the evening... (ugh!)
Just curious if anyone has any other ideas?
Thanks y'all!!
Goodness, y'all inspired me!! You all have such good ideas!
Isn't it funny--when I have the baby with me, I have no qualms about whipping out a boob to nurse her wherever I am.... You acquire such a twisted way of thinking when you're breasfeeding. Its like, "What--I have to find a special place?! I can't stand in the middle of a crowd and start pumping?! Its the same thing, right?! If I had the baby with me, I'd whip out a boobie and no one would care--like anyone is looking at my boobs anyway?!"
(Yea, waking up at 4am will undoubtedly make me more crazy than I all ready am!!)
I decided to buy a small battery operated pump--my main pump (Isis Duo) doesn't have a battery option. I figure it probably cost about the same as having to go to the doctor for mastitis.
Now I can worry about waking up and geting to the airport at some gawd awful time instead of worrying about where to plug in my pump... lol!
Thanks for the suggestions everybody!
I would try to find an outlet or use the car adapter. You might be able to call or go on the Atlanta airport's website. Manual pump is the second option.... and I'd try to avoid #4 if you can at all. If you have the time, you can always stop somewhere to pump with an outlet - a mall etc? good luck with the trip and the interview!
I've pumped in many airports. I've always been lucky enough to find a family restroom with a plug, but I would take the battery pack just in case. The pumps don't work as well with the battery pack as with a plug, but it's still better than manual.
I've pumped on an airplane several times before. I had a battery pack for my Medella in style and a cover. I would ask before hand if they could move me to an empty row if they had one available.
My pump had a battery attachment that came in very handy.
If I was you, I would look for the battery attachment, I had a Medela Pump and Style. I dont think not pumping all day would work very well.
I think your best bet is to pump in the car. You can drive somewhere with privacy and cover yourself. That way you can be relaxed. Pumping in the bathroom is not comfortable or relaxing!
I've been in a similar situation (not an interview, but a 1-day meeting with no pumping option). I got a battery pack and pumped in the rental car and also in the airport bathroom. On the way home, as crazy as it sounds, the airport bathroom was actually more convenient than 1 last pump in the car because that's after security and so you don't have as much breastmilk to try to carry through security with you.
Also, to carry it, I took a soft cooler without any ice or gel packs - just some ziplock bags and the bottles. Then after I went through security, I asked one of the restaurants for some ice and filled the ziplock bags to keep the milk cold. On the way home, I dumped the ice before security, and once through, I again asked a restaurant to fill my ziplocks with ice to put in the cooler bag to keep the milk cold.
It's a hassle, but it's doable!
Of the options you've thought of I would be most comfortable with pumping in the rental car.
Can your electric pump run on batteries? My Medela pump n style has a battery pack you can plug into.
I would say just be prepared to do whatever you may need to do. Manual pumps really aren't that bad - I used a manual pump because it was actually quicker than using my electric pump. I wouldn't chance not pumping unless you are almost done nursing because it could mess up your supply.
Good Luck on your interview!! I hope it goes well for you ~
When I was stuck all day in the Atlanta airport (9 am flight cancelled, confirmed on 9 pm flight), I was also nursing a 7 month old and needed to pump. The first time I convinced the attendant at the Delta club room to let me use one of their conference type rooms. When I asked again later in another terminal they would not let me, so then I ended up in a supply closet in the employee break room. It was pretty pathetic because I started crying because everyone was being mean to me, and I had been stuck at the airport for 10 hours already, and I missed my baby. Anyway, if you are changing planes in Atlanta (rather than ending there), it might be difficult to get to a family restroom or whatever in the allotted time, so I would recommend using a manual pump in a bathroom. It might not express as much milk as the electric pump, but it would be enough to make you comfortable. I did this in a smaller airport on my return flight (after buying a manual pump on my trip), and it was so much easier than asking people to find me a space and all that. If you have to ask for help, I have found that men are actually generally more helpful then women because they don't want to deal with that sort of female thing any longer than they have to.
I used a battery pack adapter and pumped in a restroom at the airport for business trips. Hung the pump on the back of the door and stood there while I pumped. It sucked but it was better than going out of my way to find a pumping friendly location. Please for you and your baby's sake do not go ALL DAY without pumping....you will end up so uncomfortable, busting out of your shirt, leaking, and possibly get clogged ducts and decreased supply. I would pump in the airport when you arrive or before you leave at your home airport, in the rental car if you have time before or after the interview and again at the airport before flying home. Get yourself a battery pack adapter and some batteries ASAP!
Babies r us sells car adapter plugs and also battery packs (for Medela and other brands) that can be plugged into the pump. I, personally, am a pump/bf in the car person. If we were at my inlaws, I pumped in the car. If we were driving, I pumped in the car (not driving, of course!!Lol!). It sounds stupid, but I loved that I could just lean over and rest my head on the dash while gravity helped the pump!
I'd do it in the car! That is what I have done in the past for a day out and about etc. I just put my nursing cover on and went for it. I have an electrical pump that has a battery option so that is what I did. But you could just do it manually if need be. Good luck on the interview!
I would feel more comfortable in a family room at the airport or at a BabiesRus.
Good luck with your interview!!!!
I used a power inverter (something like this: http://amzn.com/B00005LACE) with my pump and pumped in the car (while driving) to and from work. I found that the battery option was not efficient. Of course it would be safer to NOT drive while doing this!! :)
(I think option #4 will not allow you to give a good interview because you will either be in pain or leaking or be too worried about it to put your best foot forward.)
I think the Atlanta airport has Minute Suites (minutesuites.com). Small rooms you can rent for an hour (the minimum), or more. The purpose is to rest, nap, work quietly, etc. That kind of place would be ideal, I think.
I traveled quite a bit with my first one and I pumped in the car all the time. It was no big deal.
Atlanta is a HUGE airport. They have a smoking room, I'm sure they have a "baby feeding" room. Maybe you can google it. Good Luck on the interview....
When I went on all day trips I always pumped while driving down the road. I usually just pumped one breast at a time to allow me to still have one free hand. I even did it through a busy downtown area. :) I figured I will never see those people again AND I had a cover on me. I only got a few strange looks. I would not rely on pumping in the airport bathroom, but I'm sure they probably have plus in's.
I have pumped all over God's green earth i.e. airport, car, airplane bathroom, Mardi Gras parade, etc.
Bring your electric pump. You will need to get the battery adapter. I have the Medela pump in style and it came with one.
At the airport, ask an attendant or janitor where a family restroom is. If they are ignorant (which a lot of times people are when it comes to breast pumping), go in a stall at the airport and set up shop. None of the restrooms have an electrical outlet.
Depending upon how long your flight is and whether or not you are on a plane with more than two bathrooms, you could pump. I generally will pump on a plane that has two bathrooms in the rear of the plane and let the flight attendant know that I will be occupying that bathroom for about 20 minutes.
Once you get to where you are going, pump in the car. I have a hands free bra. I will set up and put my nursing cover on and drive to wherever I am headed. If you are not comfortable pumping and driving, find a parking lot. Do not forget to bring your nursing cover.
One thing that helps is try not to stay on a every 3 hour schedule like you might normally do, just pump wherever you can even if you just pumped an hour ago.
FYI: I did recently buy a Medela mini electric. It is about $70. I bought it because I have found that with two kids and life I do not always have time to sit and pump. I have used it several times at the airport and I do it every morning on my way to work for about 10 minutes on each side. It is not the best but it does the job to relieve myself.
Call the Atlanta airport and ask if there are outlets in the bathrooms!
I bought a battery pack for my pump and it worked really well. When I was travelling and nursing, I would pack the pump, battery pack and PLENTY of spare batteries- along with a few good magazines. Sit in the back seat of your rental car and pump there. You can also take along the cooler pack and save it if you want to!
If you want to pump at the Atlanta airport, the bathroom is probably your most convenient option, but quite honestly do you want to sit in a stall for 40 minutes? When you land, ask one of the desk attendants if there is a "family lounge" at the airport and pump there.
Do NOT pump in the airport restroom!
I did a one-day trip for work while I was still nursing. I brought a manual pump and pumped in the airport restroom. I only ever had a manual pump, though, so I was used to using it. I would not recommend going all day without pumping (ouch!) and you risk blocked ducts and mastitis (had that once and NO fun). Please don't leave home without a pump - flights get delayed and cancelled often these days.
My work situation at the time required that I carry the manual pump in my backpack in a ziplock bag along with my laptop! I was expected to be mobile between several buildings owned by the company and so could never know where I was going to be any particular day or time. Ah, those were the days... ;-)
BTW: I've been traveling for work quite a bit the last 6 months, and there is almost never an empty row, hardly ever an empty seat, so I wouldn't count on the on the plane option. Airlines are only flying full flights these days, canceling flights if they aren't full.
I have asked for unused offices. I have pumped in my car. I have (in a moment of desperation) pumped in a bathroom with the pump bag hanging off the hook on the door and wiping down as much as I could and standing so I didn't touch anything.
If I had your choices I would bring my battery pack and either pump in the store or the rental car. Put your sweater on backwards and read a book.
I have dealt with the same issue. I work part time and do some traveling. Some airports have family restrooms that do have outlets, but I don't know about Atlanta. I have found that pumping in the car with an adaptor works best for me. I also bought the Medela hand-pump, which is the best manual pump I have found if you're in a pinch.
My other piece of advice is to know your rights about traveling with breast milk (if you plan to bring it home)! You do not have to drink your own milk to prove its not poison, or anything silly like that. We've found that many of the airport employees are not completely aware of what's allowed with breast milk (especially large quantities, and no baby in tow), so take the time to read up on the regulations. Good luck!
