Milk...it does a body good!

So this is Aubrey's blog but I think I feel the need to fully share the Monday milk experience as this was all done for Miss A. I figure she'll laugh at this one day! Monday we had a work retreat at an off campus location. Normally it's nice to get away but when your life needs to stop every 3 hours to pump the idea of leaving campus is a little nerve wracking.

Normally I pump either in the comfort of my own home or at work, which has always been fine other than two very embarrassing home moments:

1. A Bug Man rang the doorbell and Brian opened the door to talk with him as I was pumping on the couch 10 feet away. The man looked at me and continued to try to sell Brian his services.

2. Our bowling partners came by to drop off some plants and Brian invited them in - as I was sitting on the couch pumping. They all walked in and I was just there doing my thing!

So now back to Monday. We are off campus which means I cannot be in my office with the door closed and my fridge and freezer readily available. I lugged everything to the retreat and put it all down discretely under the table at which I was sitting. Pump time rolled around so I grabbed my pump bag and went to find the restroom. On the way to the restroom I found a directory so I figured I would look and see if they had a lactation room - no luck.

I went into a stall and sat down on the toilet seat 3 paper covers deep. I plugged everything in and got started. I grabbed my Ipod to find that the battery had died....bummer. I was going to have to sit in silence other than the rhythm of the pump. I am sitting there when two ladies from my old office walk in. They start talking about their weekend. One then says, "What's that noise?" and the other says, "I don't know - it sounds like some sort of pump." So now I ask myself - "Do I randomly speak up from the stall when they don't even know I am here?" or "Do I just say nothing?". I went with nothing and they left. A few minutes later there is a knock on the exterior bathroom door - the maintenance guy wanted to to know if he could come in. NO, NO, NO! I told him someone was in the bathroom so he left. Disaster averted! I finished up and then was at the sink washing everything up when someone came into the bathroom and looked at all of the parts spread out on the sink. Her response to all of this was, "Looks like fun". Ummmmm....yeah highlight of my day!

Round 2 came 3 hours later. This time before going in to the bathroom I saw a maintenance man. I decided to ask him about a lactation room. Wrong move - he spoke Spanish and I didn't know how to ask in English. I trekked into the bathroom to set up camp and I heard another breast pump! Music to my ears!!!! I set up shop and got to work feeling really great about someone else being in the same weird situation. That feeling didn't last long - she was done about 2 minutes after I had gotten started. She went to the sink and another lady said, "That's a weird noise." The pumper said, "It's a breast pump" and her response was, "Oh". Yes lady awkward for you - I understand...awkward for me too! I finished up and was washing everything when one of the ladies that I knew came in and talked with me about her awkward pumping times when her kiddos were little - that made me feel a bit better about the weirdness of the entire experience.

So yes Aubrey - breast is best and I am proud to say that this is the way you and I went but let me tell you baby girl it wasn't always super easy!