Nursing and Job Hunting...

they have to let you pump, well in CT they do but I think it is a law in most states. they even have to provide you w/ time and a nice place (not a restroom) to do it! call you local LLL for advise/suggestions and they will tell you what you can do. my friend lives in VA and she says that the teacher she works w/ pumps right there at the table while they are all planning together...she cant see anything but can hear the hummm LOL. I am not sure i would pump while planning but to each their own. LOL. good luck and please do find support like the LLL so that you can continue to nurse/pump while working as there might be some times where it gets tricky. I have been nursing for 17 mo so far (but i am a sahm, so that is very different) so good luck. xo
oh you dont have to tell them at all about nursing until after you get the job and need them to figure out how to help you set up time/place to do it. bc even though they cant say they wont hire you bc of it, there are some jerks that wont, so dont offer that info until you are signed on as a teacher. hope this helps.

Well, first off, I think it might be illegal to not hire you because you pump, unless its a job where there are toxins in the air or something. But even then you'd pump and discard.

I was hired pregnant and then pumped after maternity leave. We didn't have private spaces, cubicles, so I did it in the bathroom stall with an extension chord to the outlet. Uncomfortable? Yes, but we do what we must for our babies.

I'm certain you'll have a break in the afternoon, so you use it to pump while everyone else is having that 10th coke or cup of coffee or outside smoking.

The reality is it doesn't take much time to pump at all, 10-15 minutes tops. You'll be fine. And more importantly, so will your baby.
K.

The ladies that nurse/pump where I work go into a closed office and put a 'do not disturb' sign on the door.

I interviewed when I had a two week old. My potential employer was so happy for me and our family (which is why I still love my job place). I let them know (at my second interview) I would need to nurse and they didn't even blink an eye when I mentioned it.

I see appointments for work, so I would pump on my lunch break. Also sometimes on my way too and from work too if need be.

Buy a good double breast pump. I had the medela. It is expensive, but worth the investment if you're serious about working and pumping for an extended period of time. I could have both breasts emptied in 10 minutes. So in under 15 minutes I could have the whole process done. Also, the medela bag was set up nicely to accommodate less than ideal settings (small bathroom).

Really, I never found it a big deal because it took so little time away from work. Most people won't even notice you're absence. The medela also has a small storage space to keep milk cold. Most of the time if you act like pumping is no big deal, others will too. Most don't even know you're doing it unless they hear the pump or recognize the bag.