This year when I flew to Vegas for our Passion Parties convention, my carry on bag was my Medela breast pump. At least it was in a semi-stylish black bag. What mom wouldn’t want such an accessory? The flight attendants on Southwest were so totally cool with me hogging the bathroom for 10-15 minutes at a time. On the way home, one even made me an ice pack to keep the breastmilk cold!
Taking Jaxson with me to the convention was not an option as I would need someone to watch him while I was in sessions all day and the banquets in the evenings. When I attended convention 4 years ago, Sophia was 4 months. I knew I had to pump. I only had a single electric pump that was LOUD. Sophia refused to take a bottle. When I left for my trip I was definitely worried about her. Hubby recalls that she cried all day the first day I was gone. Pumping then seemed like a chore. I didn’t mind it, but I had to watch the clock and go pump every 3 hours.
This time was totally different. Even though the convention was for work, I looked forward to the break. I would actually get to sleep through the night. Never mind that I never went to bed before 2 AM while I was in Vegas. I definitely worked hard and played hard.
I think having the double pump made the difference. With the double pump, my pumping sessions lasted less than 10 minutes. (I’m blessed with a quick letdown.) Also breastfeeding was so much easy this time around. Everything came back to me, once the nurse helped Jaxson latch on.
Every 3-4 hours, I’d grab my stylish pump bag and head to the bathroom to pump. Since Passion Parties consultants are mainly women, of course there were other breastfeeding moms at convention too. We had “pumping parties.” Meaning we sit in the lounge area in the bathroom next to the electrical outlets (across the room of course) and bond over the hum of our breast pumps.
As other consultants walked in the bathroom, we’d get one of two reactions.
“I remember those days,” they’d say with nostalgia
or
“Oh, you poor thing. Pumping again,”one would say pityingly to me each time she saw me.
I loved hearing the first responses. These women shared some breastfeeding story about their kids. One even said it made her boobs tingle just watching us pump–she had a 16 year old daughter! LOL.
However my friend who seemed to pity me each time she saw me. She breastfed all three of her kids. Maybe it felt like a chore to her. Or maybe it was the only way she could bond. It just seemed like an odd response from a mother who was a breastfeeding champ. Insight anyone?
I lucked out when I was stockpiling my breastmilk for this trip. (I had to pump and dump–the logistics were too much to store and bring home the breastmilk safely.) There were only 2 bags of milk left in the freezer when I came home. Whew!
Photo via thebone
Maybe the pity comment was that she was sorry you were missing out on sessions or conference time by being tied to your pump every few hours.
I didn't think about that De. Maybe you're right. The first year I had to leave sessions to pump I was sad I missed out. Everything seemed so matter of fact to me this time around.