Work battle Ladies, I want to breastfeed my son (or at least give breast milk from a bottle when I'm at work). My…

Legally they have to provide you with as many breaks as you need. Only allowing you to pump on your scheduled breaks will hurt your milk supply. Print out the laws and tell them you will take legal action if they deny you your breaks. (However, they do not have to pay you for these breaks.)

You work 9 hour shifts and don't get a one hour lunch break? Interesting. Reading this, I assumed you were part-time given your break schedule.

I think you're right after doing a brief reading of FLSA. Thirty minutes every 2-3 hours is what is recommended by breastfeeding advocate websites. I do not agree that you should be entitled to both your three regular breaks and three pumping breaks, however. That would make 1.5 hours of pumping and 40 mins of non-lunch breaks. For a total of two hours and ten minutes of break on a 9 hour schedule not including your 30 minute lunch break. That does seem unseasonable to me though I see both sides. This is something you're likely going to have to research in order to get your way. If there are any cases that make rulings on the definition of "reasonable" or if you get both regular breaks and pumping breaks as it's not in the code.

The issue is the laws are super vague, they just have to allow a reasonable amount of time. Who knows what that means. I would pump as often as your lo feeds do your supply doesn't disappear.

Do u have a place where u could pump there? I was just wondering cause i too plan on breastfeeding and pumping but dont see where i would at work.

I also work 9 hours. I pumped right before I started working, on my breaks (10-15 minutes long), on my lunch, and right when I was done working. I was able to get plenty of milk.

I don't mind using my breaks at all. That's not the issue. I happily give up my breaks for my baby. However, the way the breaks are set up make it difficult to do that. I suggested splitting my personal to add 5 minutes to each break and letting me choose when to take them so I could pump when needed. That would leave me with no time to even use the restroom though. Literally all I'm asking is an additional 10 minutes, unpaid, so that I can pump AND use the bathroom.

My son nurses roughly every 3 hours. He nurses at 6am and will not nurse again before I leave for work at 730. He put himself on his schedule and he's not changing it for my convenience. So, if I could take my first break between 9 and 9:30, my lunch at 12:30 or 1, and my second break at 4, I would be able to keep on his schedule and nurse him after I got home and cooked dinner for my other two children.

Pp, every woman is different and it takes me a lot longer to respond to a pump than to my child. Your schedule worked for you and that's great, but you surely don't expect every mother to be able to fit your schedule.

Also, they provide no space. I either sit in the open break room or use the bathroom. I would go to my car but it would take another 5 minutes or so to get out of the building and back in doing that.

This is just so frustrating.

Op I understand about the pumping. It typically took me an hour to drain both breast. Didn't have to work but dd had numerous appointments so I had to schedule them around pumping and feeding time.

I agree with the previous posters. Print of the requirements and take it to work. Hopefully, y'all will be able to come up with a compromise.

Good luck.

I thought legally they had to provide you with a space that wasn't a bathroom, or do they consider the community break room that space?

I had to pump for 25-30 mins 3x a day while at work in order to get enough milk, it sucked! I feel your pain.

I believe they have to give you a space to pump that's NOT the bathroom and give you reasonable breaks. What state are you in? I thought if you worked a 9 hour shift they would have to give you an hour lunch break but maybe that varies. It's also weird that they won't give you the time even though you tell them it can be unpaid. More companies need to be family friendly

They have to provide a PRIVATE space that is NOT a bathroom. For reasonable time, I believe they say a half hr. I don't know the name of the website, but there is one that states the requirements and all that.

They are violating the law by not giving you a private space to pump. Contact hr

Pp, it was hr I was fighting with. I stayed calm and met with the head of hr again this morning. I wasn't able to print anything out but stated I knew my rights. I'm now using their file room which has a lock and they provided a radio. I'm using my breaks and they are keeping an eye on how long I go over to get an average. This is all I wanted.

Thank you ladies for being supportive!

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx