to not want to express milk in a room used for changing cathetas

[Fatas]

There alternative, suitable rooms available at my workplace. Was recently given a room to express, it is a large room, is secure and has a lockable door. There is a desk to sit at etc.

The room is used amongst other things for toileting; changing cathetas was mentioned, I am assuming it could be used for colostomy bags- but not sure on this one.

I really don't feel comfortable expressing for my little one in there, in fact I really feel it is inappropriate.

When I expressed concerns was told that the room was very clean and it was cleaned regularly.

And actually changing catheters would be done by a nurse in a treatment room. So do you work in a care home? Only way this makes sense.

No- I am not asking for the staff breakroom at all

As I have said room availability is not an issue which is why out of all the available rooms I think it is unreasonable and inappropriate to expect me to use this space.

@Fatas - I have catheterised people, and I can promise you that it has to be done with great care and attention to hygiene and asepsis (making things clinically clean) - and whilst this is for the benefit of the person being catheterised, it will have the additional benefit of keeping the area hygienic for you too.

As I said - if you are worried, wipe down the surfaces with anti-bac and it will be fine.

People express milk in hospitals - and the chances of the areas they are using to express in having been used for other clinical procedures (catheterisation, dressing changes, nappy changes) is high - but as long as the expressing and storing of the milk is done carefully, with due regard for hygiene, it is fine.

Take my word for it- it happens in my workplace a lot, I am not telling porkies.

Im totally confused by your post... do you work in a health care setting that patients attend for the hcp's to administer catheter care? Because long term catheters would be emptied in the toilet as would colostomy bags? Self catherisation is unlikely to be done in the loo for infection control issues?

If you want a real opinion you need to provide coherent facts?

Pippa I don't really want to say where I work as I don't want to give out loads of info- the info I have given is all that is needed to make a judgement I feel.

I hope my explanation of why hygiene is so important when catheterising someone will set your mind at rest.

I was a nurse - working in operating theatres, so I have a fairly good understanding of hygiene and asepsis, and I promise you I would be happy to express in a room like that. I might wipe down the surfaces first.

My DP eats his lunch in a clinical care room. Probably cleaner than my office in all honesty.

In the nicest possible way whats the purpose of your post then?
You wont get any honest/useful opinions when your only giving half a story?

OP, it looks to me as if you work in a setting where people with disabilities are cared for. Some of these people with disabilities need help with toileting. This could include changing incontinence pads or catheters, emptying colostomy bags and cleaning the client and the area used.

Is this correct?

If it is, I agree that you should not be expected to express in that environment. Also, being “timetabled” for expressing is very poor employment practice, possibly illegal.

I think it would help PPs if you clarified your situation.

I do hope it works out for you.

Sorry, x posted there. I understand why you don’t want to give more info, and that’s fine.

I don’t understand. It’s an area with a desk. Why would it be used to change catheters and colostomies. How many in your workplace have either that require changing? Is the workplace medical based? You had an area, which you felt wasn’t suitable. Got another area you don’t think is suitable, maybe they will be able to accomodate you a third time?

Op this is unacceptable and one of the reasons why pregnancy and maternity are included in the equality act 2010. Please cite this when you complain and ask for more suitable space.good luck.

Perhaps if you told us what this 'room' actually was it would help?

Could you please explain the reason that you have been given about why you can’t use the other room? They must have said something, even if it’s not a good reason.

Op - the only place I could express when I was back at work was the staff loo! It was either there, or nowhere, so I chose to express rather than not provide breast milk at all. My baby never became ill. Sounds as if you have a comfortable, clean space in which to express and I would be grateful for that.

You aren't putting your breasts on anything unclean, nor the expressing equipment, so what is the problem? Do you generally have anxiety about germs?

It’s not unacceptable! How dramatic. It’s an office with a sink and desk in, being used in a clinical way. Has no one ever breastfed/pumped in a hospital, drs surgery, a toilet in a shopping center? It’s probably cleaner than the room op wants to use.

You sound incredibly precious OP.

If there is no toilet in the room, I would be very surprised if catheter bags/colostomy bags were being emptied in there. It makes much better clinical sense to do that in the loos.

Removing and replacing a catheter will have to be done on a bed/trolley, and I suspect that changing a colostomy bag is more likely to be done on one too, so if you use the desk and chair whilst expressing, you are highly unlikely to be in the same area that is being used for those functions, @Fatas.

I think you are focusing on the other uses for the room you've been given, when in fact that is sort of irrelevant because as other posters have said, you would probably happily express in a hospital ward. For what it's worth, I expressed for DS for 6 months.

As far as I can see there are 2 issues:

1. Is the room clean or not?

If the room is also being used to change colostomy bags or whatever but is left clean and tidy for you to express in then there is no problem.

If the room is also being used to change colostomy bags and when you come to use it it is dirty and unhygienic then that is not acceptable.

1. Do you have reasonable access to the room?

If you have adequate opportunities to access the room with a degree of flexibility in case you miss your slot then there is no problem.

If you have very limited access to the room under extremely strict rules which would mean that if you missed your slot and couldn't get access for a long time, that is not acceptable.

Unless there are a huge number of other people occupying this room and leaving it in a state after they change their colostomy bags then I think you are being unreasonable. The milk is not going to come into contact with the room - it is going from your body, through the pump, into a bottle. The room needs to be reasonably clean and reasonably available, not sterile and designated to you alone.

This is actually really fucking offensive and ableist. I really hope you don’t work directly with people in a healthcare/caring context.

I agree with you dinosaurandtea. Lack of education...

*in this area i should say

OP will be THAT mum when her child is at school....

No- not offensive and ableist at all.

I do not want to to express in a room used for toileting- be that abled bodied or disabled!

My stance is clearly backed up by employment law which states that all reasonable and practical measures are taken to ensure that a woman has an appropriate space to express. The ACAS document actually cites that toilet and medical rooms are not appropriate.

I am glad I asked this q, I wanted to know if people thought I was being unreasonable and the vast majority did.

I am sorry that someone used a toilet to express and was not aware of the employment rights that exist to protect her.

It is clear from the attitudes on here, why so many places get away with bad and as mentioned earlier, possibly illegal, practice.

@SD1978 The desk is right next to where the toileting takes place.
No- I was given an area that was very suitable which was replaced with an area that was unsuitable.