amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

milk42 · 07-13-2004, 05:03 AM

My sister just had a baby, and will be returning to work in 10 weeks. She delivers mail for the USPS. So, we were talking, and since she is in the mail truck, how can she pump? Any ideas? Isn't there a law that says employers must allow them time and space to pump?? (She hasn't talked to them yet about it, just wants to be prepared.)

And a friend told me she thought there was a new kind of pump that you wear under your shirt, inside your bra, and you can hardly see it, sorta like a shell. Anyone know anything about these, or who makes them?

TIA Mamas!!
Amy

~MamaCharly~ · 07-13-2004, 07:35 AM

Good for her!

I dont' know the specifics but I am pretty sure there are laws about pumping If you go to www.LaLecheLeague.org I'm sure you will find that Information there. I know with certain pumps there are adapters for car cig. lighters or power outlets etc.

I have never heard of the under the bra pump but that sounds pretty neat.

2xlechemom · 07-13-2004, 07:45 AM

It's called the whisper wear pump.

mom2JandJ · 07-13-2004, 07:49 AM

There are also cigarette or battery adapters for most pumps.

The possibilities are not limited though. She could work her breaks/lunch to coincide with her pumping schedule (and actually go inside somewhere.) or to swing by where the baby is to nurse. Some mail carriers don't go in till a little later so she could spend the morning nursing and pumping (the morning is usually a good time to pump.) She may be able to alter her schedule or the baby may alter his or her schedule.

Has she tried LLL - the best time to start is before the baby gets here. And then getting breastfeeding off to a good start.

Kathy

mommy2maya · 07-13-2004, 07:52 AM

The pump is Whisperwear or Whisper something. Actually someone here was selling one not too long ago.

I would think that a carrier would have an ideal situation in which to pump. She would be able to just sit in the truck whenever she needed to & pump. If she bought one of those coolers that plug into a cigarette lighter, that would make milk storage super easy, though it is not even necessary to chill the milk right away, I believe it can be at room temp for abour 8 hours- I could be off a bit on how many hours, but know it is quite long time.

emilytoys · 07-13-2004, 08:44 AM

and funk up all of our mail with the stench, then I think she should be allowed to pump in thr truck!

And that is the way the world would be if I were in charge...

Variant · 07-13-2004, 11:38 AM

Congrats to your sis on bfing and wanting to pump. I'm no help in this department, but do mail carrier vehicles really have cigarette lighters in them? How strange!

milk42 · 07-13-2004, 12:05 PM

Thanks ladies for the info. That is the pump I was thinking of, I can't wait to show it to her!!

She is allowed a 10 minute break in the morning, a 10 minute break in the afternoon and a 30 minute break for lunch. But she has to deliver all the mail before she goes home. So lets say she is ready to take a break, she has to find a place to pull over and pump, then get back on the road. So, the quicker it could be, the better off, and since at this point I think she is going back full time, IMO she would need to pump more than just 3 times during the day. She lives an hour away from where she works, so stopping by or meeting the baby is out of the question, sadly. Let me know if you come up with anything else.

And I would be surprised if the mail trucks have cigarette lighters. I guess in this case, I am hoping they do!

Amy
Proud Aunt

Amber · 07-13-2004, 12:31 PM

I was reading some reviews on the whisper wear breast pump and somewhere read that one mom pumped while she drove to work. Maybe your sil could pump as she drove too since it is a hands free system. If there is no place to put in the car adaptor it can also run off 4 aa batteries. Then with ice packs in a cooler bag she could just put the milk in there until she got home.

sveasmommy · 07-13-2004, 12:48 PM

Most pumps come with a battery pack...

Is she in the truck full time or does she do any walking on her route? If just driving, I think I would stick the pump things in my bra and the beginning of my shift and just turn them on when I need them and then empty/change containers when it's break time. Work and pump at the same time!

Amber

~Heidi~ · 07-13-2004, 01:06 PM

Here's the link to the one for sale here...she said she was going to list it at eBay if no one wanted it though.

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthre...ight=whispe r

Heidi

MamaShine · 07-13-2004, 01:45 PM

I used mine in the car on my 45minute commute to and from work. As long as you don't wear an underwire bra (!) it's pretty comfortable. It takes just a little practice to get it situated just right, but that's gotta be true for all pumps.

besttwins · 07-13-2004, 02:05 PM

I pumped in the car many times using the cigarette lighter adapter. Legislation differs from state to state so the the link to LLL that someone already posted.