expressing when out and about

[hildathebuilder]

I know this is a bizarre question but here goes anyway. Week after next I have to be in court (for work- nothing I have done ) and will need to be away from my DS for about 12 hours from 6.30 am (ouch he sleeps through so that will hurt). In the time I am away I would usually do the first feed and express at the same time, which provides the second feed. I'd then express one more time before I picked him up and fed again at about 5pm ish. So I reckon I will miss the equivalent of 4 feeds. (2 real and two expressed bottles)

What do people do when out away from their DS. Do I just have to put up with expressing in the ladies somewhere [yuk]?

Do I just not express but then work like buggery to make the missing feeds up?

Do I wake DS early to feed him and get up even earlier so he misses fewer feeds?

I can't somehow see the court accomodating me so any ideas very welcome...

[CMOTdibbler]

They will have a first aid room, so ask if you can use that

[PacificDogwood]

If you are employed you have the right to ask for a space and time to express - this could be a broom cupboard, but NOT the toilet.
I used to express for DS3 in my office with door locked. It was still awkward, timeconsuming and I lived in constant terror that I had forgotten to lock the door...

So, this time round, when I returned to work when DS4 was 7 months old I have not expressed yet - I do have the advantage that I can go and feed him 1x/day in my lunch hour. However, I still had problems with engorgment in the first week or two, it then settled down and does not seem to have affected supply. Like you, I have 10 hour days, 4x/week.

HTH a bit.

Court, surely, should uphold the law, non ...??

[GMajor7]

Definitely express for your own comfort and peace of mind - the court will probably surprise you ! I have expressed anywhere and everywhere including toilets

[PacificDogwood]

I suppose it also depends on whether you are hoping to express ALL his feed, or just for you own comfort (that was my objective).

[hildathebuilder]

Thanks, and thanks for the thought about the first aid room, I will ask the court about that.

I know all about the time and space to express, and my law firm are fine with this, (well in amongst the sexist comments which I know are illegal and discrimination, and harassment - I'm an employment lawyer so should know but then agian the people making the jokes are employment lawyers too!) but I will be away from my office and in a court and despite spending lots of my working life in courtrooms never really thought about this. I don't care about all his feeds, I have a freezer stash and can usually manage to slowly add to it if I make an effort but its just another thing I hadn't thought about!

[PacificDogwood]

Now I feel a bit advising you about your rights...

I am a GP so on paper self-employed which makes people always thing I can do what I want and when I want it during my working day - I wish !

If you are just expression to keep yourself comfortable, depending on how old your DS is your supply will adjust well after a short period of time and you might not need to express when you are at court.

[MumNWLondon]

FWIW I did a couple of KIT days when DS was 10 weeks old. I fed him at 7am and then expressed after the feed. I managed with just one expressing at 1pm (both sides, got 9oz with avent hand pump) and then fed him when I got home at 6pm (and expressed after). Between the three expressings got roughly what he took from the bottle while I was away and its didn't seem to affect supply. I was a bit full at 1pm and at 6pm but not too uncomfortable.

If I had to leave the house before his wake up time I'd probably express before I left (ie not wake him).

[ClimberChick]

Days I wern't at the office I just used to pump and dump and then I didn't care if I did end up in a toilet (funnily enough the US visa people were not fond for me to use a private room). But I don't know how many out of office days you'll have. I'd normally do just the two quick expresses as they were infrequent enough for me not to care about my supply.

I imagine if you speak to the security (or similar) they'll get embarrassed enough to bend over backwards for you. They prob be the ones to know all the little secret rooms.

You could prob feed DS in his sleep or hope he just straight back to sleep afterwards. Also if needs be, he'll catch up on feeds in the night, if there's not much around in the day.

hope there's a bit of useful info in there somewhere