I am transitioning back to work after being out on maternity leave. The other district literacy coaches and I are leading some collaborative professional development sessions at the district central offices. On lunch break, I am using an office to pump. Pumping has not worked for me in the past. However, this time I am getting some good results. It is the most unnatural thing in the world for me, but I stick with it because I know it is best for the baby. I pretty much hate every minute of it.
So, the other day, I find myself sitting on the floor of the office, attached to the pump, distracting myself with reading and day dreaming. After pumping, I was pouring the milk from the bottles into the storage baggie. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the other bottle tipping, teetering, getting ready to fall over. I screamed out, "AAAAAAHHHHH!" I caught it, just in time to prevent a spill! Can you imagine? This liquid gold that I slave over creating, spilt on the carpet of the district central offices, please, no!! I can just see myself, full of humility, asking for the janitor and carpet extractor. Oh my, the potential for embarrassment is through the roof.
To prevent this possible episode of mortification, I am considering pumping in the car next time. Either way, I am delighted that I didn't have to actually cry over my spilt milk.
I feel your pain and I have split the golden liquid and I have cried. Nothing wrong with that. Keep it up, and cry if you need to.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain and I have split the golden liquid and I have cried. Nothing wrong with that. Keep it up, and cry if you need to.
ReplyDeleteYour writing brought a smile to my face today. Not that I couldn't understand where you were coming from, but that you did such a good job of describing it that I could just see someone sitting on the floor worried about spilled milk.
ReplyDeleteAwww! I remember those days! I'm so glad the bottle didn't spill onto the carpet. Keep up the wonderful slicing!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for keeping it going. This was a great slice for the day. So many can relate.
ReplyDeleteI was the union rep for some years at a school where we had several nursing mothers. Finding time and space for them to pump was often as issue. It is so hard to do what os best for baby, so kudos for you for persevering.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have such good reflexes! I would have cried too if it spilled. Being a mom is not for the faint of heart. I applaud you for continuing something you don't enjoy because you know it's good for your baby. I remember wanting to stop so many times but then feeling tremendous guilt and sadness at the prospect of not having that quiet special time with my little guy at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteBreast pumps have come a long way since my "hand pump" days. My daughter did this for 6 months and it is just not the easiest ever. Hope you can keep it up. Maybe get a plastic tablecloth to spread out so at least if it spills you won't have to call a janitor! It would be terrible to lose that liquid gold though!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's biggest complaint was having to find a proper place to pump. It was difficult, she often told me. I'm glad there was no spilt milk, and that you wrote and shared, probably made more than one person who'd been there feel good, a kind of "been there, done that, not alone".
ReplyDeleteI love this post for about a million reasons. First and foremost, you perfectly conveyed the feeling of doing something for someone else that you didn't enjoy because it was the right thing to do. I'm so glad that milk did not spill!
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