A Good Laugh - The Seal

Been reading this way too much.

And I think I'm a little sleep deprived. This is the true story of what happened during our nighttime routine last month:

Hubby: Will you say the prayer tonight?

Me: Sure. [closes eyes]

Our Father in Heaven, we're thankful we could touch such a BEAUTIFUL animal. . . and that it is a seal. . . [wakes up] Wait what?!

Me & Hubby: [laugh uncontrollably]

Soon to come: What does Nacho Libre have in common with my boob?

A 'Private' Place to Breastfeed

Have a good laugh on me.

Pumping at work requires a lot of preparation. As a resident, it's particularly difficult because we're on a rotating schedule and that means I'm moving from place to place.

I've saved a template for my requests to have enough time to pump, in a clean and private place, with access to a power outlet and fridge. I sent this to my current hospital site, but failed to realize that I would be spending time at my affiliate medical school for lectures. It's not my alma mater, so I'm not familiar with its layout. Almost frantically I called a male friend who is currently a student there the night before saying "I just realized I'm going to be at your school tomorrow for many hours, I'll need to pump my milk over there, where can I go?"

The poor guy felt bad for not having an immediate answer, but obviously he'd never had to think about this before. He called back to tell me that I could use an 'OSCE room.' Of course, I thought!

OSCE stands for Objective Structured Clinical Exams, and most med schools have rooms set up like actual doctors' offices so that students can be observed in a real life setting. It would be perfect because I could lock the door, plus there'd be a sink in the room.

I was glad everything worked out. As I got myself settled I pulled a privacy curtain around me to make me feel extra secure. After all, it's a vulnerable position one's in with plastic funnels gripping the breasts and both nipples pointing out like torpedos.

That's when my own OSCE exams played over in my mind. I used to hate having the video cameras hover over me to screen my performance. . . DOH! There they were, two lenses pointed right at me! I hoped no one was filming, and I nervously finished pumping with the assumption that there's not a lactating porn market out there.

(If someone calls me Dr. Galactasy one day, I'll know I've been had.)

Coming soon:

Scarves - The essential mommy accessory

Cancer prevention - Why breast-feeding helps

Residencies - Which are the most pump-friendly?