My Pumping Room
Cori Adams
Windham NH USA
From NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 24 No. 2, March -- April 2007, pp.70
After my first son was born, I was very sad and hesitant to return to work. I was a nurse at a dialysis unit in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. I worked a 10-hour day with two half-hour breaks. Sometimes I was the only nurse working, so it was difficult for me to have enough time to pump.
The room I pumped in was a shower/storage room. It was boring and messy, but it served the purpose. One day I went to pump and noticed everyone waiting for me to go into the room. When I opened the door, I saw that the room had been emptied of supplies and decorated. My co-workers had taken pictures of my son off my locker, made copies, and hung them on the wall. Stuffed animals were placed around the room. There was a table with a radio playing relaxing music and a lava lamp to set the mood. There was even a candy dish filled with chocolate.
I was speechless and my face was bright red. And while I was in the room pumping, they hung a sign on the door proclaiming the room (temporarily) "Cori's Pumping Room."
To this day, three years later, I still think of the thoughtfulness and understanding my co-workers showed me. I'm now preparing to return to work after the birth of my second son. I have a new job in a large hospital with a pumping room for breastfeeding employees. I haven't seen this room yet and, although I'm sure it's nice, I know it won't be as special as my storage closet turned pumping suite from three years ago.
Page last edited Thu Jan 17 01:32:13 UTC 2008.
