Pumping Troubles

Written 1-27-12

Shortly after I got to CHLA with Tanner, I really needed to go and pump.  To put it lightly, my boobs were so engorged they were killing me after that long flight!

So the nurse that was assigned to Tanner showed me around quickly on what I needed to do to go and pump milk for him and get it stored.

Here are the steps I had to take, and why I love Primary's SO much more!

Step 1: Go to the main desk in the CTICU (the unit Tanner was in) and ask for the "pump key."
~ what?? That was my first thought that this was going to get rediculous.
Step 2: Once you get the pump key (sometimes it took a little bit of tracking down), go out the big double doors to get out of the unit, down a few hallways, around more corners into the "visitors' lounge."
~ The pump room at Primary's was IN the CICU. And if that one was busy, there were other actual "pump rooms" that could be easily found.
Step 3: One of the overnight rooms for parents to reserve the day of to stay in overnight is a make shift pump room. Unlock the door with the key and go in and pump.
~ ha. Ya right. The first time I tried to go in while the nurse was showing me around there was already someone in there. Even the nurse was stunned on how they got in. The husband came to the door (with an attitude no less) and said that another unit said for them to come to this room, and if it was unlocked then to just use it. (so that just made the pump key irrelivent!)
~Also, that same couple (with attitude included) were in that room probably about half the times I tried to go and use the pump. I ended up finding a spare pump somehow and pumping in the visitors' bathroom no less. Ew.
~ And that make shift pump room was always gross from whoever used it for the overnight room.
Step 4: Take your pumped milk back to the nurse that is watching your baby and ask them go and put it in the freezer.
~ At Primary's we could just go put our milk in the freezer ourselves. Each baby was assigned a little tub to put the milk in so it wouldn't get mixed up with other babies'.
~At CHLA, I didn't have access to the freezer and felt like I was making the nurse go out of their way to go and put it away. There were even times I had to ask them a few different times to put it away because they kept forgetting.

That is one more entire reason I hate it here. It's not like I don't need to deal with anymore stress!