Pumping was a theme of the week for me. I turned in my hospital grade Ameda pump back into the rental place and I will be back with my Medela In Style next week. I had some tricky pumping situations on top of really wanting to work on being sure I pumped as often as possible. I had to be in a 6 hour long meeting and since our executive officer wasn't available, I was in charge of the minutes. Not an easy scenario when I need to sneak away to pump every two hours, but I was able to sneak away during discussion time. This week I also had my RISD class for three hours immediately followed by a two hour dinner. This meant that I had to pump once in the RISD bathroom with my new Medela Harmony hand pump (my Ameda hand pump lost its suction and I couldn't just get a replacement part, so I figured I'd get a whole new one to upgrade). Then in between class and the dinner (which I had to rush over to even though I told them I'd be late), I pumped in my car with a power adaptor hooked up to my Medela In Style. This tops the cake as the most awkward pumping session ever since I was tented in my coat hoping no one walked by. It did not go well. I then went into the Faculty Club restroom with my handpump to at least relieve things and try to ensure that I didn't leak much during my presentation. I was presenting over dinner and it was supposed to last 20 minutes and ended up being over an hour and half of discussion with our big advisory board. Good thing I had bothered with the hand pump. This on top of my normal 4-5 pumping sessions per day (in my office with a shared door to my bosses' office), sums up my reality of pumping.
P.S. I managed to get the stomach flu just two short weeks after getting over the respiratory flu. Yeah, not fun and I'm still recovering. I'm so sick of being sick and especially sick of talking about being sick. But the jist of this flu is that it comes on hard and fast... just like all of my coworkers that said they had it. I didn't really understand what they meant until I found myself running to throw up four times in a sink in front of about 100 students. I cringe with embarrassment...eek.
1 comment:
L, I was so sorry to read of your episodes of trying to work, pump, be a mommy and deal with the flu all at the same time. Wow. I had the flu, too, and I rarely get a flu or cold. Mine, too, lasted 2 weeks for the respiratory part of it, which was awful (like knives in the throat, congestion in lungs, coughing, dripping, and only a whisper for over a week), and then there was a 3rd week which included intestinal problems. I've heard of others who've had it the same way also. It's been of epidemic proportions. Hang in there. Glad to hear things are better.
Love, Bonnie
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