The Joys Of A Working Mom.....

As I have completed my first week back at school, I can't help but chuckle at the insanity of being a teacher and mom at the same time.  If you happen to be a guy who has stumbled upon this post, don't worry, I'm not going to start talking about all the nasty details of pumping.  I will, however, share how pumping has not only been one of the most annoying things about going back to work, but also the most entertaining aspect my return.

It's the little things, like finding a place and time to pump that may not seem like such a big deal but have been quite an interesting fiasco.  As a teacher, you are required to be in the room with your students at all times, so how does pumping fit into the picture?  You would think that once a time and place were determined the rest would just work itself out. I can certainly say I have had my share of hilarious pumping experiences, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I was quite certain that the sound of a breast pump coming from our office bathroom would discourage anyone from coming too close.  I guess I was wrong, and found out that the same pump, which seemed so loud from inside the bathroom was not nearly as loud from the outside.  I often check...and double check to make sure the door is locked. On this particular day I was overloaded with paperwork and must have had a brain of mush because I forgot to lock the door!  That was the last time I would ever forget, as a co-worker stumbled upon me in my not so wonderful state.  You may think I was mortified, but on the contrary I was extremely relieved to see that it was one of my female co-workers rather than the two male co-workers who it could have been!

I have also experienced numerous instances where I have had to leave my pumping station to get to class on time not realizing that I have milk spilled all over the front of my pants and shirt.  To this day, I'm not really sure how this seems to happen as much as it does but I have determined that as long as I am a mom, I will forever smell of sour milk.

I realized today that having a fellow co-worker walk in on me while pumping was maybe not the worst thing that could happen.  As I went to turn on my pump it made several very unique noises and then proceeded to die a very quick death.  I made several attempts to try various outlets etc but it was dead, and I needed a solution fast!  Not pumping was out of the question, and so I sat....staring at the wall wondering what the heck I was going to do.  It was then that it dawned on me to possibly borrow a fellow teacher's pump.  Genius.  What was not so genius about this plan was that I would have to interrupt an 8th grade L.A. class to get a pump, and then proceed to walk the pump down the hall to my office.  The good news is, I didn't explode.  The bad news: the pump is dead and is over three years old, so no longer has a warranty.

I'm sure there will be many more stories to come in the next 6 months of these pumping adventures.  Let's just wait and see.....