Work won't allow my mini fridge??

[notinoz]

I am very lucky that my office allows a mini fridge in our individual offices. I can' imagine needing to trek across the office to store milk in the break room fridge (plus I imagine it would freak everyone out).

You could try getting a couple of 8 ounce bottles and partly fill them with regular cows milk. Put them on the top shelf right out it in the open (making sure they are marked breast milk). (If you use regular milk it won't matter if anything happens to them) In my office at least everyone would start complaining which would probably get your mini fridge allowed pretty quickly.

[Edensmomma]

Originally Posted by mookie It is a electricity issue. Offices simply are not wired to accommodate the additional demand from mini fridges. Honestly, the ice pack I kept in the cooler compartment with the pump was sufficient for me. I just wiped the pump parts clean with a paper towel knowing that milk that has never been refrigerated stores for a long time. I know it sucks.

I have been exclusively pumping for my baby for 11 months now (medical reasons) and when I am on the go I use the cleaning wipes by Medela for pump parts to clean my pump parts in between pumpings and since it has never been refrigerated it will stay 'good' longer.

[MommaLEB]

Originally Posted by notinoz I am very lucky that my office allows a mini fridge in our individual offices. I can' imagine needing to trek across the office to store milk in the break room fridge (plus I imagine it would freak everyone out).

I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at how well people take it. I pump in a public break room. I just put a sign on the door indicating that I'm in there. I stay covered and my policy is, it doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you. When I'm done my milk goes straight into the shared fridge, just in a bottle, plain as day. I have never had any issues.

[evelonies]

medela makes pump wipes that you can use to wipe off pump parts between pumping. a cooler w/ an ice pack should be sufficient for storing milk until it's time to go home.

[tuhraycee]

No, it's not an electricity issue or fire hazard (I've had the fridge there for 8 months with no mention of it being a problem). My boss' admin assistant is who is being the "messenger" and she said it's because my boss doesn't want everyone having a fridge at their desk. Each department has one (one MINI fridge for that department...) and that should be enough.

Oddly, my boss seems supportive of breastfeeding and when I asked the admin. assistant if I should talk to him about the fridge she emphatically said no. ??? Supposedly it will be ok when I return to put the fridge in the room designated for my pumping but I'm wondering if I should ask my boss directly about this instead of relying on the assistant (who is known for stirring up trouble...).

[Sally's Red Meadow]

I would give the boss a call. If you have to go though the assistant just ask to talk about your return to work schedule. Keeping the fridge in the room where you pump is a very good solution. It makes it all very easy, you just stop by the "pumping" room on your way out to get the milk.

[Brooke789]

Does everyone only have one set of pump parts?? I take the number of sets for the number of times Im pumping!
I use ice packs in my pump bag's cooler section for the milk.

[ob_nurse_k]

Isn't freshly pumped milk good at room temp for like 6-8 hours or something anyway?

[SurprisinglyCrunchy]

Yeah, breast milk is fine at room temp for up to 10 hours. I am pumping for my second child and I have never washed my pump parts between pumping sessions. I just throw them in a freezer bag and leave them in my pump bag. Then I wash them each night. I would just put your milk in a little cooler and store it in one of the regular fridges. Honestly, I think people make a bigger deal out of these things than it needs to be.

[jaelynsmommy61607]

I have one of http://www.pattyreeddesigns.com/Cat-...unch-totes.htm
I put all the parts and bottles in it and keep it in the shared fridge. If you need a cooler type bag something like this might work http://www.pattyreeddesigns.com/Cat-...unch-totes.htm