Pumping while wearing a hardhat

I am a Food Scientist in product development by profession, so that means that I do a variety of things. At least 50% of the time, I’m just flying the desk, but for the rest of my time I’m in the lab, kitchen or factory. The location that I work at has a 24 hour factory. As one of the scientists at this location I need to be out in the factory from time to time conducting tests or observing. Today is one of those days. My schedule is going to be TOTALLY messed up and I’m a bit worried. For starters, there are two employees from our corporate headquarters here for the factory test. So not only am I going to be reliant on the schedule of the factory (which is always behind schedule) but I need to be available to entertain and tour around our out of town guests.

Right now it’s 9:58am Normally I am getting ready to pump. Not today! I’m waiting on the guests to be ready so I can take them on a tour of the factory. Then they are going to lunch (I told them I need to go home for lunch), and then we should be back at the factory around noon, which is when the test is schedule to start. Since nothing ever starts on time, that really means 1pm or so before the test starts and it is scheduled to last 4 hours. I don’t need to be out in the factory the whole time. I can come back to my office and pump, but I won’t know when until I’m there.

*****

Ok. I wrote the above this morning. Now it’s 4:38pm and the day has gone OK in regards to pumping, and I don’t have to be at work at midnight- that’s a relief!!!

True to form, the factory was running behind schedule. Our first test didn’t actually start until 2:30pm. I had gone home at 11 for lunch, to nurse W and to pump. I pumped one-handed while I ate lunch, only got 6oz total because I was in a hurry, nursed W – but he had just had a 4oz bottle before I came home so he wasn’t that enthusiastic about it, then got on a ladder and peeked up in our crawlspace because my husband had discovered that woodpeckers pecked a hole in our house and there was now a huge nest in our attic!! Great!!!

I went back to work at noon, and had a chance to pump briefly around 2. I only pumped 4 oz total, which is not a lot for me. I didn’t spend the time I needed nor, was I in the mood. I’m feeling mighty full right now, but I’ll be going home in a few minutes, so it should be ok.

I did discover one thing that made me pretty happy today. While I was in the factory I happened to see two doors that were labeled “lactation room.” Go my company!!! You rock!

Now time to do something about this hard-hat hair of mine!