Salam
Being in the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing under the Department of Aeronautical Engineering means that most of the staff are guys. As for the Aeronautic department, there are only 3 ladies including me. To make things worse is that the other 2 ladies are on study-leave for the next 2-3 years which means that I will be the only working lady at the department right now..phewwww.
Don't get me wrong, I'm comfortable working around guys as I myself was raised with 5 boys in my sibling.. so I'm used to be surrounded by guys all day. The only concern that I have right now is regarding to my pumping session.
To maintain the milk supply, I should pump at least 15 minutes for every 3 hours during the working hours. It's not a problem when I'm in the office but it does create a tiny little problem for me when I have to go outstation with those guys.
2 weeks ago, I was assigned to go to a meeting in KL with 4 other guys in the department. The journey from Batu Pahat - Putrajaya took 6 hours back and forth plus 1-2 hours of meeting session, which clearly means that it does interfere with my pumping session. I brought along the Medela Freestyle Breastpump and I was planning to pump when we stopped for solat.
Unfortunately, my B was sending the signal that it can't stand the milk anymore so I should start pumping to avoid them from transforming me to be Pamela Anderson ... LOL.
I have no other option than wearing my nursing cover and start pumping. Luckily I was sitting by myself in the last row of the Exora MPV; and luckily the sound of the breast pump was not that loud compared to the sound of air as the car accelerates through the highway.
Those guys doesn't even had a slightest clue on what I am doing at the back row at all. One of them did turn at the back to check on me *whether I'm comfortable or not sitting at the back row*...and he thought I was feeling cold *he mistaken the nursing cover as blanket/shawl* ... and so he asked "ko sejuk ke weh?". I nodded religiously and couldn't even say any word when he 'help' to turn the aircond blower away from me LOL.
+- my colleagues who were in the car with me at that time. none of them noticed that I'm pumping inside the car -+
When I told this incident to my husband, he personally thought that it's a shameful thing to do. So I had to explain to him that no one noticed it, so there's nothing to be ashamed of.
I guess other moms will agree with me that mommies can defy all odds and go to all extend into providing the best for their kids. As quoted by Marion C. Garretty "Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible".
Psssttt : I hope my colleague wont read this entry, if not lain kali kalau kena pergi outstation dgn diorang..kantoi la pulak kan hahahah