Some moms stop breastfeeding because they need to go back to work. Yet, there is no need to disrupt your nursing routine because pumping at work is not just doable; it is also a right protected by federal and state laws. With increased awareness about breastfeeding, moms can now work without weaning.
Teacher Mom Caught Pumping at Work
A teacher mom took to Reddit to ask parents if she had been in the wrong in a situation at school. Apparently, she was pumping breast milk in a locked room accessible only by a teacher's key card. She placed a sign on the door that read: "Pumping. Please come back later."
The Reddit mom learned her lesson when she did not place a sign on the door before. A custodian walked in on her while she was pumping. The custodian apologized, and he himself told the principal about the incident. The principal told the teacher mom to let her know if the situation comes up again.
The Reddit user identified as u/MiddleMathMama said she never forgot to lock the door and put a sign up again. Now, during this one incident, a student knocked on the door while she was pumping. Thinking she had put up the sign, she carried on with pumping. About five minutes later, the mom was shocked when the student walked in, holding a teacher's key card.
U/MiddleMathMama said she firmly but politely told the student he needed to leave and told him to close the door. As it happened, the student entered using a key card given to him by Mr. M-the teacher mom's colleague, Parents reported.
Colleague Calls Breast-pumping mom a Tattletale
Mr. M quickly turned the situation around and blamed the teacher mom for what had happened. He said that the sign she put up was too vague and should have been more specific, like "DO NOT ENTER." Students, he said, do not know what pumping means.
Yet, the teacher mom responded, "It does not matter because only the people with key cards that can access the locked room know what pumping means." Despite her response, Mr. M argued that it was unprofessional of her to tell the principal on him "tattling like one of the students."
Mr. M has been teaching in the school for 30 years. Meanwhile, the Reddit mom was a third-year teacher. Mr. M argued that a more experienced colleague would have emailed him first before involving school administration.
The Redditors were quick to jump to the teacher mom's defense, letting her know she is legally protected by law to have a private space at work for pumping. One person also commented on the colleague's misogynist behavior, creating a toxic work environment.
A Mom's Pumping Rights at Work
Since 2010, working moms have been legally protected by the Department of Labor. The federal law, Break Time for Nursing Mothers, requires employers to provide a private space (not the bathroom) and a reasonable amount of break time for working moms of babies under 1 year old to express breast milk at work.
