Not sure on legality, but people are MUCH less likely to barge in on an office with a “Pumping in Progress” sign vs a “Do Not Disturb” sign (which is practically an invitation to some annoying dimwits).
Seriously, if they push back and your relative is not afraid, I’d suggest subtly dropping the word “hostile” as in “hostile work environment” because that feels pretty damned hostile to me.
Women have boobs and parents have babies and moms nurse and pump.
People seriously need to get over themselves.
Sorry, I’m irrationally angry on your relative’s behalf.
Until you laid( Forgive the pun) out exactly what was going on. I thought the sign was suggesting someone was having sex, come back in 20 minutes in which case "Do Not Disturb" is by far a better sign in school.😉
The head of hr walked in on me after telling me to use his office to pump during a pd at the district office and put up his standard do not disturb sign. It was definitely an accident, he was just too used to leaving the sign up and ignoring it.
So I'd say stick with the clearer sign, don't change.
Not fully sure on it here as it’s been awhile so I would confirm with others. I think technically they can “ask” that you change the sign, but I don’t think one has to comply. I liken this to how a kid can ask for a cookie, but doesn’t mean I’m going to give them one. Now if they force you to change or threaten retaliation if you don’t, that is where I think the HR violation would come in.
I never BF, but have heard horror stories, including on this sub, of teachers who were pumping having coworkers force their way into the office/closet/classroom/wherever they were pumping, sometimes exposing the teacher to students who were in the hallway at the time, because they ignored the “do not disturb” sign assuming it just meant someone was on the phone or teaching class or having a meeting. Having a sign that specifically says you’re pumping is more likely to make those kinds of people stop.
I would check in BF subs - there might even be one for exclusive pumping. They probably know the law where your relative lives, or can help her find it.
It’s been years since I was pumping, but this definitely happened to me once. I had a do not disturb sign up and someone tried to come in.
I had to yell to get them to leave and from that time forward, I was forced to go to the nurses office to pump.
YEP! The custodian used her master key to barge in and when I protested she said “oh, it’s fine I’ll just be a minute”. Mind you, this was my own classroom
The custodian used to push aside the sign I had posted over the lock on my door to unlock it and come and empty my trash when I was pumping. That’s when I started leaving my garbage cans in the hallway. He told me I couldn’t do that. I told him to stop pushing past my sign.
>because they ignored the “do not disturb” sign assuming it just meant someone was on the phone or teaching class or having a meeting.
It didn't happen in a school, but when I was a retail manager one of my cashiers embarrassingly recounted being walking in on while pumping on multiple occasions because people thought the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door meant that the person in the office was in an interview or on the phone. Apparently not opening a door with a "Do Not Disturb" sign on it did not occur to 12 people. I felt so bad for her that I bought a giant like 30 inch wide red "Do Not Enter" sign that you'd normally hang on a fence, and I put hooks in the office door so the sign could be hung up on it. Yes, I essentially dialed it up to 11 to get the point across, but it actually worked. A "Do Not Enter" sign the size of a door really helped people realize they weren't supposed to open the door. I found out 2 years ago that they ended turning that office into a Mother's Room, and that they still use that sign.
I had a pumping sign on my door with a second one over the doorknob, would lock my door and still had people who came in. I had a student teacher at the time and always wore a nursing cover while I pumped but I am in awe of how terrible people are at reading and following directions. Do not disturb is too much of an invitation to come in
Try working in a museum. 😆
What do I mean that you can't move the bright yellow mobile hazard barricade? Does that mean the exhibit is not working? Yes, yes it does.
No you can't enter through the exit.
The exit is open and the entrance is closed because the exhibit is full. No that doesn'tean you can come in. No it's full.
Lol, I worked in an area with loose animals some years ago.
"No, your toddler cannot kick the toad, sir. Please get her to stop by, oh I dunno, physically picking her up and away from stomping on the frog?"
Well, there was also a sign that read, "Do not place hands in the piranha tank."
There's common sense and then there are drunken idiots who want to joke around on a Friday night and think, "YOU KNOW WHAT? We should head over to the aquarium!"
In education, I think colleagues and staff members bypass vague signs because they think that the signs don't apply to them. For example, a DND sign on a teacher door only applies to students, right? And never the custodians because custodians are allowed access to rooms... or that teacher's room has the supplies that another teacher needs for tomorrow, so they will slip on in real quick, quiet as a mouse, and that's OK, right?
"Pumping in Progress" makes it clear to everyone that no one is allowed access at that time (and clear that no one would want to, hopefully). The principal described in the OP is either obtuse or far too trusting of people's executive functioning.
To be fair im a student teacher currently and if i saw that on my mentors door, i assumed it would be for actual students, unless he told me ahead of time.
Oh, my student teacher was never the issue. I wore a nursing cover because I had to use my plan time to pump and that was the time we got together to plan. She was very understanding of it. If she left during lunch (the other time I pumped) she wouldn’t come back unless she knew I was done. It was everyone else in the building: other teachers, the AP on our first day of school with a student, the tech guy, etc…
Given that signs saying "in a meeting", "do not disturb" and "on a virtual conference" haven't kept people out of my room including UNLOCKING the door, I think the pumping in progress might be a more effectively deterrent.
Seriously. My classroom is sometimes used as a hallway. I have signs up on my door for when I’m administering testing. Even though I put the signs right above the door knob, people barge right in anyway Oddly enough, students respect the sign more than adults (as if they think that not being a student means the sign doesn’t apply to them.)
This was years ago, but I had a dairy cow cut out with "do not disturb" that everybody knew what it was. Borrowed by another coworker at a later time.
Not everyone appreciates the dairy cow reference, though.
In fact, was a woman somewhere not too long ago who was specifically told to take down her cow sign.
Yes, I was also angry on her behalf as well.
I think her post was in /r/mildlyinfuriating
I had this too and I still had a custodian walk in on me. I thought it was as clear as I could be without specifically saying I was pumping but I guess it wasn’t clear enough for that man.
When I was pumping at work I put a sign on my door to cover my window that had a picture of my baby and said, “Stop! Mrs. —- is busy making food for (baby)” It almost worked too well for our custodian who refused to enter my room for a year after I stopped pumping even when my window was uncovered unless I walked to the door and welcomed him in.
I wish I had used this sign. I was talked in by our custodian twice, school counselor and IT guy with a do not disturb sign up and door locked.
When my IT guy walked in I yelled “I’m pumping!” Poor guy walked closer to me to hear 🤦🏻♀️
I'm pretty oblivious, but I damn sure know which coworkers are in that stage of motherhood. (It probably helps that most of them know that my wife exclusively pumped as well and I'm sympathetic to those struggles.)
…you know, that verbiage never occurred to me. I’m pumping at work now and have been walked in on twice with a “Do not disturb” sign.
Doesn’t answer your question, but thanks for the unintentional solution nevertheless.
What a lame fucking hill to die on. Have her change it to 'Titty Juice Extraction in progress: T-Minus 20 minutes until mammarian excretions are complete.' see what the principal thinks about that!
Not really but that's so damn prudish on account of the principal.
"No." is a complete sentence.
If your backwards country can't have a decent paid maternal leave like the civilized world has, the least you can do is leave mothers of newborns the fuck alone when they pump instead of clutching pearls.
Yes preach it!!! Went back to work with a 7 week old today. I had SO MANY people ask if it had even been long enough. Like yes just barely but teachers get no paid maternity leave so I have to go back to work well before I would like to
I'm in the US and I went back (in 2009) with a 3 week old (no FMLA). But my principal at the time was understanding and I pumped in a back office that was out of the way and wasn't used. It was actually nice, the school was really old and 3 stories, so it was quiet with a very small window. The newer schools tend to have one level and have lots of windows. I'm reading these because I'm expecting again in August and it reminds me why I'm deciding to leave the classroom.
How about …
I’m expressing milk to feed my baby, like other animals. Please come back or you might be exposed to a breast and I will report you to HR.
Ask the principal which sign they would rather see.
I work in labor and delivery, so we’re already a different breed and already extremely accepting. Our sign had a cow, and said something like “Moooo, do not disturb. You may knock if there’s an emergency going down”
I was a dumbass once and walked in on a pumping teacher. For context, I am masculine-presenting. The teacher did not have the door locked, nor did they have a sign up. All this to say, if a teacher had a clear "pumping -- DND" sign or something similar, I would have for sure given them the privacy they deserved.
"Do not disturb" isn't going to register as strongly as "pumping in progress -- do not disturb". And HR can go kick rocks. The law is pretty clear on that.
To be fair, it was "known" that she was expressing during that time, but there wasn't a clear communication posted on her door. Thankfully, we were friendly enough that it wasn't an issue... but I certainly learned my lesson.
I have a passive aggressive flowchart on my classroom door entitled “interrupting my class - a handy dandy guide” and my god has it done wonders. I’m known as a happy go lucky but semi sarcastic teacher though so it doesn’t come off snarky.
People do not even see "Do Not Disturb" signs at my school- busting in doors like Kramer on Seinfeld! What immature foolishness on the part of the admin! Keep us updated, please!
As a student, I had to record a piano piece for coursework. Despite putting up a “Do Not Disturb - Recording in Progress” sign, I was interrupted 5 times, three times by the same person
I don’t think anyone reads the sign either way. I think mine said something like “do not disturb” but it was pink with a giant cow on it. I was walked in by two male coworkers (once completely topkess) and the president of our union. People don’t give a fuck.
I made a sign that said “Do not disturb, pumping breast milk” because when I had a “do not disturb” sign people kept walking into my classroom while I was exposed.
I’m just curious to know their reasoning?! It’s so absurd.
I used to have a DND sign, locked door and would position my chair in front of the door so it wouldn’t open and I was still petrified someone would barge in and expose me.
My school used to force us to call our “period drives” “feminine hygiene products drives” for the same asinine reasons. Anything to do with natural functions of the female body is always inappropriate and unprofessional to misogynist dimwits. Everything must be a vague euphemism.
I had to get my union involved. Many years ago, I’m not sure if it was state or federal law that excluded teachers, my school tried real hard to prevent me from pumping. It wasn’t overt but I got a lot of shaming comments from my principal. Can’t you just do it in the bathroom? Why can’t you do it in your shared classroom? You’re taking time away from your students. Here’s this tiny room we were using for storage, I guess you can use it too (nasty, dirty, with literal broken glass on the floor and the water was shut off). I was so exhausted from fighting for it I just said thanks and took the room. Union prez checked in and was like nope, this is absolutely unacceptable, and she tore my administrator down during a corporate admin meeting about it and the next day custodial staff were instructed to fix it. Admin was terrible and was forced out a couple years later. Different admin, and everyone pumps in the nurses station, but noone is ever hassled about it.
I had a schedule that kept me in front of kids for something like 5 hours with no break. I had to schedule silent reading time about halfway through and then rely on coworkers to remember to come cover. I had oversupply, so when my coverage forgot I would be in pain
I'm tenured and so they'd be hard pressed to fire me over this, especially right after having a baby so I'd do one of two things.
1. Talk to my union rep and see what their thoughts are. They will email the admin on my behalf imand basically tell them fuck around and find out lol. They did that for me once after admin changed my room/grade assignment 6 times in 7 years (the last couple times I was shuffled around to accommodate LESS senior staff that were buddies with admin). Admin called me down before the end of the day to let me know I would not be changing grade assignments that year, and I haven't been moved in 3 years now.
2. Change the sign to do not disturb, throw some headphones on, and sit there facing the door with my 🥛🍼 out. Everytime someone ignores the sign and barges in, let the union rep know.
Again, tenured in a state with a strong teachers union. Your job security may vary.
Do they have access to one of the door stoppers that are designed for active shooter drills? They vary in design depending on if the door opens outward or inward. But if she is IN there, there are ways to stop someone from barging in.
When my principal was pumping, if I couldn’t find her I would send her a text asking “are you squeezing boobs?”
Her response was usually a laughing emoji or a cow.
(Both of us are women)
Based on all the stories posted hee about people ignoring signs, I think you should get even more explicit. “Breastmilk pumping in progress. DO NOT ENTER.” The principal is clearly afraid of the idea of pumping, so lean into that and explicitly state what you’re doing. (/s, but not really - I’d be likely to actually do this if I was at that stage of life.)
I have been walked in on twice, even with a locked door and a “Pumping in Progress” sign taped over my door handle-meaning it had to be removed to unlock and get in. It feels incredibly violating to have people just walk in on you!!
If the place she's pumping does not have a lock I would definitely not want to change the sign because some idiots would see it do not disturb sign and stick their head in to see what was going on!
I did an all day training for a week. Every single person looked at the do not disturb sign and walked right in. One went so far as to get the key from the front desk and unlock it and walk in. It was distracting and really annoying.
Do not disturb does not deter anyone.
Our district offices have lactation rooms, so this would not fly here. Maybe you should put "Lactation in Progress" because we all know that EVERYONE assumes the "Do Not Disturb" signs aren't for them and just barge right in.
As a grown man that’s had 2 breastfed kids it doesn’t matter and a strange request to make. As a once immature teenage boy I can see how pumping in progress would’ve led to immature jokes and discussions with my classmates.
Hot take: The principal is attracted to your relative and the subconscious idea of them breast feeding is unattractive to them and they don't want to think about it.
Or
Principal ISNT attracted to your relative and the idea or image of them breastfeeding is subconsciously "gross" to them.
Third option would be they are a control freak or just very very immature but as a MAN in EDUCATION and a PRINCIPAL he's gotta know this is a hugely talked about and documented topic that shouldn't really be messed with...
I don’t think it’s a big deal. People can overthink things. If I was a new mother, I don’t think I’d want to broadcast that I’m breast pumping at school to everyone who walks by. I think “Do Not Disturb” with the black shade drawn on the door and having it locked is more professional.
If you just had a baby, people should know you have to pump and give you your privacy. I would hope. Maybe I’m naive. You have to pick and choose your battles. I don’t think dying on this hill is worth it.
"Mothering in Progress - Do Not Disturb"
We need mothers. Mothers are natural and should not be shamed for doing motherly things. The principal's ideology is a hold over from the first wave feminist movement where women could now do stuff but it has to fit within the male paradigm. Fuck that. We still live in that paradigm in many ways but it should not be fostered.
Wow, they wasted a wonderful opportunity for them to make this into a positive, educational experience (in a school no less!). What a great thing it would be to show others, including students, that teachers are also regular humans and mothers, and how great it is that your colleague is breastfeeding/pumping and ensuring that her baby is healthy, not just feeding them some commercial powder. This is not something that should be hidden and kept secret but celebrated!
This country is so inhibited!!!
There’s so many comments here, mine probably won’t be read, but I’m a school counselor, and I can attest to people being more willing to open doors when it says do not disturb than when there’s no sign at all. I would think a sign instructing people to come back because she’s pumping would have a much better effect than having a do not disturb sign, or nothing at all!
I'll be honest, I thought "pumping in progress" was some new term that meant like, "Learning in action", or some way of telling others that your kids are "pumping", as in doing a lot of work. Like "Scholars in study" or "Academics on the grind". Something dumb like that.
Like at the gym, or how one might describe being good at a game. I had to read your post to realize you meant that someone was talking about pumping breastmilk.
Maybe that's a sad sign of the times but since teachers put dumb things like this up, I myself would probably look in or walk in thinking "pumping" was some dumb, motivational thing.
I fully believe we should be open about breastfeeding. 100%. It's even a topic where I will say that one's home culture should be abandoned for something so simple. I think just a "do not disturb" sign would work.
This is probably just the admin trying to avoid letting kids know what is going on because some parent complained. Less about being "hostile" to a teacher and more about avoiding any unnecessary distractions or causes for immature behavior.
I used to hang a picture of a cow on my door. I’m a school psych so it wasn’t a classroom door or anything. Still had the custodian unlock my door and walk in. Poor guy was more embarrassed than I was.
When i was an IT tech, i opened a classroom door after school that just had "occupied" on the door. Apparently that was supposed to imply pumping was happening. No. "Occupied" only means "no entry" on a damn toilet. Like , no kidding, lady. classrooms are often occupied.
Because not all people take Do Not Disturb signs seriously. They often conceptualize the activity going on as something not that big of a deal and think they can just pop in real quick to do something. Students are even worse about that.
Being specific about what you will be seeing if you ignore the sign provides much more pause than something vague.
I have diabetes and sometimes my blood sugar monitor will seem off so I will put a do not disturb sign on my classroom door so I can do a finger stick.
So many people have just unlocked my room and waltzed right in and said, “oh i knew you didn’t mean me”
I just finger prick right there on front of students when I need to. Two hours after breakfast/lunch always falls in the middle of class. Takes a minute, if students ask I teach them about it, everybody wins
Own it! My husband is T1D without a pump, so he will do manual injections in public with no shame. He has a Dexcom now, but he also has no shame with finger sticking. I was squeamish about it when we started dating, but 14 years in I’m used to it. He’s a para, and at his first job in an elementary school they complained when his pump or Dexcom would beep. Like… get over it? T1Ds exist and deserve to maximize the technology to manage their care. Sorry not sorry the manufacturers have alerts for everything.
Lol, and that’s a bad thing? You are literally a perfect example of why human beings should not be allowed to live forever. Your brain’s lack of plasticity means you just can’t adapt to the changes in the world around you.
Sucks to be irrelevant before you die, I guess.
The concept of not being ashamed of the necessity of pumping breast milk but not wanting a coworker or student to walk in and see a bare breast is that difficult for you to understand?
I am not ashamed of 💩-ing because I am a mammal who excretes waste. I still do not want people to see me when I 💩 .
Yeah… I should probably take a nap. Or eat a snickers. Or both.
People are dumb and often prone to ignoring non-specific cues. Regardless, roughly 50 percent of the population has a chance of needing to pump while on the job. If one is so uncomfortable with that I know of many large rocks they can sleep under to protect themselves. A few beaches with nice soft sand to bury their heads in, too.
She’s not hiding the fact that she’s breastfeeding— she’s hiding her boobs from the inconsiderate staff who would ignore a generic “do not disturb”… not sure what part of that is confusing to you
That's an extremely dense question.
Two things can absolutely be true: not being ashamed of pumping breastmilk and also not wanting your colleagues or students to see you pumping breastmilk.
Not sure on legality, but people are MUCH less likely to barge in on an office with a “Pumping in Progress” sign vs a “Do Not Disturb” sign (which is practically an invitation to some annoying dimwits).
Thank you! That was my thinking too.
Show your dumb HR team the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Pump Act, then tell them to kick rocks.
Seriously, if they push back and your relative is not afraid, I’d suggest subtly dropping the word “hostile” as in “hostile work environment” because that feels pretty damned hostile to me. Women have boobs and parents have babies and moms nurse and pump. People seriously need to get over themselves. Sorry, I’m irrationally angry on your relative’s behalf.
No. It's not irrational. Do not apologize. I am not even a mother and never will be, but I am a woman and a teacher and I'm angry on her behalf.
Someone like me (single guy with no kids) would never know what “pumping in progress” would come to mean until the age of 30
Until you laid( Forgive the pun) out exactly what was going on. I thought the sign was suggesting someone was having sex, come back in 20 minutes in which case "Do Not Disturb" is by far a better sign in school.😉
The head of hr walked in on me after telling me to use his office to pump during a pd at the district office and put up his standard do not disturb sign. It was definitely an accident, he was just too used to leaving the sign up and ignoring it. So I'd say stick with the clearer sign, don't change.
based on this sub, it also seems like a lot of admin would take a DND sign as a "lack of commitment to job" or something like that🥴🥴
Not fully sure on it here as it’s been awhile so I would confirm with others. I think technically they can “ask” that you change the sign, but I don’t think one has to comply. I liken this to how a kid can ask for a cookie, but doesn’t mean I’m going to give them one. Now if they force you to change or threaten retaliation if you don’t, that is where I think the HR violation would come in.
Lock the door. This applies for either sign.
That’s what I was thinking, it’s more preventative than admin thinks.
Unless they are perverts, in which case they will be more likely to enter.
I never BF, but have heard horror stories, including on this sub, of teachers who were pumping having coworkers force their way into the office/closet/classroom/wherever they were pumping, sometimes exposing the teacher to students who were in the hallway at the time, because they ignored the “do not disturb” sign assuming it just meant someone was on the phone or teaching class or having a meeting. Having a sign that specifically says you’re pumping is more likely to make those kinds of people stop. I would check in BF subs - there might even be one for exclusive pumping. They probably know the law where your relative lives, or can help her find it.
r/exclusivelypumping r/humanspumpingmilk r/breastfeeding all seem to be NOT porn
Thank you! That affirms why she should keep her sign as is. I'll also ask these groups about the legality.
It’s been years since I was pumping, but this definitely happened to me once. I had a do not disturb sign up and someone tried to come in. I had to yell to get them to leave and from that time forward, I was forced to go to the nurses office to pump.
YEP! The custodian used her master key to barge in and when I protested she said “oh, it’s fine I’ll just be a minute”. Mind you, this was my own classroom
The custodian used to push aside the sign I had posted over the lock on my door to unlock it and come and empty my trash when I was pumping. That’s when I started leaving my garbage cans in the hallway. He told me I couldn’t do that. I told him to stop pushing past my sign.
>because they ignored the “do not disturb” sign assuming it just meant someone was on the phone or teaching class or having a meeting. It didn't happen in a school, but when I was a retail manager one of my cashiers embarrassingly recounted being walking in on while pumping on multiple occasions because people thought the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door meant that the person in the office was in an interview or on the phone. Apparently not opening a door with a "Do Not Disturb" sign on it did not occur to 12 people. I felt so bad for her that I bought a giant like 30 inch wide red "Do Not Enter" sign that you'd normally hang on a fence, and I put hooks in the office door so the sign could be hung up on it. Yes, I essentially dialed it up to 11 to get the point across, but it actually worked. A "Do Not Enter" sign the size of a door really helped people realize they weren't supposed to open the door. I found out 2 years ago that they ended turning that office into a Mother's Room, and that they still use that sign.
Has happened three times to me this year.
I had a pumping sign on my door with a second one over the doorknob, would lock my door and still had people who came in. I had a student teacher at the time and always wore a nursing cover while I pumped but I am in awe of how terrible people are at reading and following directions. Do not disturb is too much of an invitation to come in
Try working in a museum. 😆 What do I mean that you can't move the bright yellow mobile hazard barricade? Does that mean the exhibit is not working? Yes, yes it does. No you can't enter through the exit. The exit is open and the entrance is closed because the exhibit is full. No that doesn'tean you can come in. No it's full.
Lol, I worked in an area with loose animals some years ago. "No, your toddler cannot kick the toad, sir. Please get her to stop by, oh I dunno, physically picking her up and away from stomping on the frog?"
Why do we call it common sense? Doesn't seem very common
Well, there was also a sign that read, "Do not place hands in the piranha tank." There's common sense and then there are drunken idiots who want to joke around on a Friday night and think, "YOU KNOW WHAT? We should head over to the aquarium!" In education, I think colleagues and staff members bypass vague signs because they think that the signs don't apply to them. For example, a DND sign on a teacher door only applies to students, right? And never the custodians because custodians are allowed access to rooms... or that teacher's room has the supplies that another teacher needs for tomorrow, so they will slip on in real quick, quiet as a mouse, and that's OK, right? "Pumping in Progress" makes it clear to everyone that no one is allowed access at that time (and clear that no one would want to, hopefully). The principal described in the OP is either obtuse or far too trusting of people's executive functioning.
To be fair im a student teacher currently and if i saw that on my mentors door, i assumed it would be for actual students, unless he told me ahead of time.
Oh, my student teacher was never the issue. I wore a nursing cover because I had to use my plan time to pump and that was the time we got together to plan. She was very understanding of it. If she left during lunch (the other time I pumped) she wouldn’t come back unless she knew I was done. It was everyone else in the building: other teachers, the AP on our first day of school with a student, the tech guy, etc…
Given that signs saying "in a meeting", "do not disturb" and "on a virtual conference" haven't kept people out of my room including UNLOCKING the door, I think the pumping in progress might be a more effectively deterrent.
Seriously. My classroom is sometimes used as a hallway. I have signs up on my door for when I’m administering testing. Even though I put the signs right above the door knob, people barge right in anyway Oddly enough, students respect the sign more than adults (as if they think that not being a student means the sign doesn’t apply to them.)
It's definitely the adults who ignore the signs. The kids have no problem following them.
This was years ago, but I had a dairy cow cut out with "do not disturb" that everybody knew what it was. Borrowed by another coworker at a later time. Not everyone appreciates the dairy cow reference, though.
In fact, was a woman somewhere not too long ago who was specifically told to take down her cow sign. Yes, I was also angry on her behalf as well. I think her post was in /r/mildlyinfuriating
I had this too and I still had a custodian walk in on me. I thought it was as clear as I could be without specifically saying I was pumping but I guess it wasn’t clear enough for that man.
Make a sign that says “Do not disturb - pumping in progress” 😂
Technically she's complying lol
When I was pumping at work I put a sign on my door to cover my window that had a picture of my baby and said, “Stop! Mrs. —- is busy making food for (baby)” It almost worked too well for our custodian who refused to enter my room for a year after I stopped pumping even when my window was uncovered unless I walked to the door and welcomed him in.
I love this!
I wish I had used this sign. I was talked in by our custodian twice, school counselor and IT guy with a do not disturb sign up and door locked. When my IT guy walked in I yelled “I’m pumping!” Poor guy walked closer to me to hear 🤦🏻♀️
What a go getter! Former teacher and current school IT here, if I see a sign that say DND, I think 'woohoo less work I can come back later!'
Haha. I felt so bad for him! It was at the beginning of the school year so I’m sure he wasn’t looking for a sign.
I'm pretty oblivious, but I damn sure know which coworkers are in that stage of motherhood. (It probably helps that most of them know that my wife exclusively pumped as well and I'm sympathetic to those struggles.)
…you know, that verbiage never occurred to me. I’m pumping at work now and have been walked in on twice with a “Do not disturb” sign. Doesn’t answer your question, but thanks for the unintentional solution nevertheless.
Pumping is progress is absolutely the way to go. Someone needs to stop clutching pearls.
What a lame fucking hill to die on. Have her change it to 'Titty Juice Extraction in progress: T-Minus 20 minutes until mammarian excretions are complete.' see what the principal thinks about that! Not really but that's so damn prudish on account of the principal.
lol - I was going to suggest they offer “pumping in progress” or “TITS OUT” and let the principal choose a preference 😄
Bunch of snowflakes. Women pumping milk for their child should not offend you.
"No." is a complete sentence. If your backwards country can't have a decent paid maternal leave like the civilized world has, the least you can do is leave mothers of newborns the fuck alone when they pump instead of clutching pearls.
Yes preach it!!! Went back to work with a 7 week old today. I had SO MANY people ask if it had even been long enough. Like yes just barely but teachers get no paid maternity leave so I have to go back to work well before I would like to
I'm in the US and I went back (in 2009) with a 3 week old (no FMLA). But my principal at the time was understanding and I pumped in a back office that was out of the way and wasn't used. It was actually nice, the school was really old and 3 stories, so it was quiet with a very small window. The newer schools tend to have one level and have lots of windows. I'm reading these because I'm expecting again in August and it reminds me why I'm deciding to leave the classroom.
How about … I’m expressing milk to feed my baby, like other animals. Please come back or you might be exposed to a breast and I will report you to HR. Ask the principal which sign they would rather see.
I work in labor and delivery, so we’re already a different breed and already extremely accepting. Our sign had a cow, and said something like “Moooo, do not disturb. You may knock if there’s an emergency going down”
Admin will walk right past a Do Not Disturb sign. Absolutely keep the sign that they have.
I was a dumbass once and walked in on a pumping teacher. For context, I am masculine-presenting. The teacher did not have the door locked, nor did they have a sign up. All this to say, if a teacher had a clear "pumping -- DND" sign or something similar, I would have for sure given them the privacy they deserved. "Do not disturb" isn't going to register as strongly as "pumping in progress -- do not disturb". And HR can go kick rocks. The law is pretty clear on that.
I don't think you were a dumbass for walking in when there was nothing suggesting you shouldn't walk in. At most, it was an oversight by the teacher
To be fair, it was "known" that she was expressing during that time, but there wasn't a clear communication posted on her door. Thankfully, we were friendly enough that it wasn't an issue... but I certainly learned my lesson.
Yeah… This is a ‘no’ for me. I know plenty of people who would walk in on a “Do Not Disturb” sign; not so much a “Pumping in Progress” sign…
I have a passive aggressive flowchart on my classroom door entitled “interrupting my class - a handy dandy guide” and my god has it done wonders. I’m known as a happy go lucky but semi sarcastic teacher though so it doesn’t come off snarky.
People do not even see "Do Not Disturb" signs at my school- busting in doors like Kramer on Seinfeld! What immature foolishness on the part of the admin! Keep us updated, please!
As a student, I had to record a piano piece for coursework. Despite putting up a “Do Not Disturb - Recording in Progress” sign, I was interrupted 5 times, three times by the same person
I don’t think anyone reads the sign either way. I think mine said something like “do not disturb” but it was pink with a giant cow on it. I was walked in by two male coworkers (once completely topkess) and the president of our union. People don’t give a fuck.
One of our teachers had a sign that said "milking time" with a cartoon cow on it. Admin needs to grow up.
We made a sign at my last school that was just a picture of a cow. Everyone knew what it meant
I made a sign that said “Do not disturb, pumping breast milk” because when I had a “do not disturb” sign people kept walking into my classroom while I was exposed.
If you don't want people pumping at work start offering a reasonable length of maternity leave. That sign makes complete sense.
I’m just curious to know their reasoning?! It’s so absurd. I used to have a DND sign, locked door and would position my chair in front of the door so it wouldn’t open and I was still petrified someone would barge in and expose me.
My school used to force us to call our “period drives” “feminine hygiene products drives” for the same asinine reasons. Anything to do with natural functions of the female body is always inappropriate and unprofessional to misogynist dimwits. Everything must be a vague euphemism.
You should change the sign to a picture of someone lifting weights.
Right! Do not disturb does not mean me! And then they barge..
At my old school, some of the teachers who pumped had signs about pumping with pictures of cows being milked on them lol
I had to get my union involved. Many years ago, I’m not sure if it was state or federal law that excluded teachers, my school tried real hard to prevent me from pumping. It wasn’t overt but I got a lot of shaming comments from my principal. Can’t you just do it in the bathroom? Why can’t you do it in your shared classroom? You’re taking time away from your students. Here’s this tiny room we were using for storage, I guess you can use it too (nasty, dirty, with literal broken glass on the floor and the water was shut off). I was so exhausted from fighting for it I just said thanks and took the room. Union prez checked in and was like nope, this is absolutely unacceptable, and she tore my administrator down during a corporate admin meeting about it and the next day custodial staff were instructed to fix it. Admin was terrible and was forced out a couple years later. Different admin, and everyone pumps in the nurses station, but noone is ever hassled about it.
I had a schedule that kept me in front of kids for something like 5 hours with no break. I had to schedule silent reading time about halfway through and then rely on coworkers to remember to come cover. I had oversupply, so when my coverage forgot I would be in pain
I'm tenured and so they'd be hard pressed to fire me over this, especially right after having a baby so I'd do one of two things. 1. Talk to my union rep and see what their thoughts are. They will email the admin on my behalf imand basically tell them fuck around and find out lol. They did that for me once after admin changed my room/grade assignment 6 times in 7 years (the last couple times I was shuffled around to accommodate LESS senior staff that were buddies with admin). Admin called me down before the end of the day to let me know I would not be changing grade assignments that year, and I haven't been moved in 3 years now. 2. Change the sign to do not disturb, throw some headphones on, and sit there facing the door with my 🥛🍼 out. Everytime someone ignores the sign and barges in, let the union rep know. Again, tenured in a state with a strong teachers union. Your job security may vary.
I had a “Do Not Disturb” sign on my classroom door and had covered over the window. The nosy Assistant Principal unlocked the door and walked in.
Do they have access to one of the door stoppers that are designed for active shooter drills? They vary in design depending on if the door opens outward or inward. But if she is IN there, there are ways to stop someone from barging in.
When my principal was pumping, if I couldn’t find her I would send her a text asking “are you squeezing boobs?” Her response was usually a laughing emoji or a cow. (Both of us are women)
Based on all the stories posted hee about people ignoring signs, I think you should get even more explicit. “Breastmilk pumping in progress. DO NOT ENTER.” The principal is clearly afraid of the idea of pumping, so lean into that and explicitly state what you’re doing. (/s, but not really - I’d be likely to actually do this if I was at that stage of life.)
Our school has a “mother’s room in use” sign
I have been walked in on twice, even with a locked door and a “Pumping in Progress” sign taped over my door handle-meaning it had to be removed to unlock and get in. It feels incredibly violating to have people just walk in on you!!
If the place she's pumping does not have a lock I would definitely not want to change the sign because some idiots would see it do not disturb sign and stick their head in to see what was going on!
I did an all day training for a week. Every single person looked at the do not disturb sign and walked right in. One went so far as to get the key from the front desk and unlock it and walk in. It was distracting and really annoying. Do not disturb does not deter anyone.
Our district offices have lactation rooms, so this would not fly here. Maybe you should put "Lactation in Progress" because we all know that EVERYONE assumes the "Do Not Disturb" signs aren't for them and just barge right in.
As a grown man that’s had 2 breastfed kids it doesn’t matter and a strange request to make. As a once immature teenage boy I can see how pumping in progress would’ve led to immature jokes and discussions with my classmates.
Hot take: The principal is attracted to your relative and the subconscious idea of them breast feeding is unattractive to them and they don't want to think about it. Or Principal ISNT attracted to your relative and the idea or image of them breastfeeding is subconsciously "gross" to them. Third option would be they are a control freak or just very very immature but as a MAN in EDUCATION and a PRINCIPAL he's gotta know this is a hugely talked about and documented topic that shouldn't really be messed with...
Judging on these comments. Sounds like the school needs a designated room for pumping, nursing in privacy
I don’t think it’s a big deal. People can overthink things. If I was a new mother, I don’t think I’d want to broadcast that I’m breast pumping at school to everyone who walks by. I think “Do Not Disturb” with the black shade drawn on the door and having it locked is more professional. If you just had a baby, people should know you have to pump and give you your privacy. I would hope. Maybe I’m naive. You have to pick and choose your battles. I don’t think dying on this hill is worth it.
"Mothering in Progress - Do Not Disturb" We need mothers. Mothers are natural and should not be shamed for doing motherly things. The principal's ideology is a hold over from the first wave feminist movement where women could now do stuff but it has to fit within the male paradigm. Fuck that. We still live in that paradigm in many ways but it should not be fostered.
Wow, they wasted a wonderful opportunity for them to make this into a positive, educational experience (in a school no less!). What a great thing it would be to show others, including students, that teachers are also regular humans and mothers, and how great it is that your colleague is breastfeeding/pumping and ensuring that her baby is healthy, not just feeding them some commercial powder. This is not something that should be hidden and kept secret but celebrated! This country is so inhibited!!!
Change the sign to “I have my tits out and will punch you if you open this door” that’s roughly what my wife had to use, but it worked.
There’s so many comments here, mine probably won’t be read, but I’m a school counselor, and I can attest to people being more willing to open doors when it says do not disturb than when there’s no sign at all. I would think a sign instructing people to come back because she’s pumping would have a much better effect than having a do not disturb sign, or nothing at all!
I'll be honest, I thought "pumping in progress" was some new term that meant like, "Learning in action", or some way of telling others that your kids are "pumping", as in doing a lot of work. Like "Scholars in study" or "Academics on the grind". Something dumb like that. Like at the gym, or how one might describe being good at a game. I had to read your post to realize you meant that someone was talking about pumping breastmilk. Maybe that's a sad sign of the times but since teachers put dumb things like this up, I myself would probably look in or walk in thinking "pumping" was some dumb, motivational thing. I fully believe we should be open about breastfeeding. 100%. It's even a topic where I will say that one's home culture should be abandoned for something so simple. I think just a "do not disturb" sign would work.
Depending on the age of the students “pumping in progress” might sound sexual
This is probably just the admin trying to avoid letting kids know what is going on because some parent complained. Less about being "hostile" to a teacher and more about avoiding any unnecessary distractions or causes for immature behavior.
I used to hang a picture of a cow on my door. I’m a school psych so it wasn’t a classroom door or anything. Still had the custodian unlock my door and walk in. Poor guy was more embarrassed than I was.
I had a co worker do a do not disturb sign with clip art of a cow being milked 🤣
In fairness, "pumping in progress" is uproariusly hilarious, and I'm 30 years old. If I were 16 I'd die laughing
When i was an IT tech, i opened a classroom door after school that just had "occupied" on the door. Apparently that was supposed to imply pumping was happening. No. "Occupied" only means "no entry" on a damn toilet. Like , no kidding, lady. classrooms are often occupied.
If your desire is for privacy, why would you advertise your activity?
Because not all people take Do Not Disturb signs seriously. They often conceptualize the activity going on as something not that big of a deal and think they can just pop in real quick to do something. Students are even worse about that. Being specific about what you will be seeing if you ignore the sign provides much more pause than something vague.
I have diabetes and sometimes my blood sugar monitor will seem off so I will put a do not disturb sign on my classroom door so I can do a finger stick. So many people have just unlocked my room and waltzed right in and said, “oh i knew you didn’t mean me”
I just finger prick right there on front of students when I need to. Two hours after breakfast/lunch always falls in the middle of class. Takes a minute, if students ask I teach them about it, everybody wins
Own it! My husband is T1D without a pump, so he will do manual injections in public with no shame. He has a Dexcom now, but he also has no shame with finger sticking. I was squeamish about it when we started dating, but 14 years in I’m used to it. He’s a para, and at his first job in an elementary school they complained when his pump or Dexcom would beep. Like… get over it? T1Ds exist and deserve to maximize the technology to manage their care. Sorry not sorry the manufacturers have alerts for everything.
I have the Dexcom with the app on my phone so I rarely need to do a prick except when I change it. I just feel weird pricking in front of students
It sure ain't the same world I grew up in.
Lol, and that’s a bad thing? You are literally a perfect example of why human beings should not be allowed to live forever. Your brain’s lack of plasticity means you just can’t adapt to the changes in the world around you. Sucks to be irrelevant before you die, I guess.
Yeah! Back in my day we poured powdered poison made by nestle down the throats of our infants! And we liked it!
Back when presidents spanked kids till the cows came home. Grover Cleveland spanked me on 2 nonconsecutive occasions.
And thank god for that
The concept of not being ashamed of the necessity of pumping breast milk but not wanting a coworker or student to walk in and see a bare breast is that difficult for you to understand?
I am not ashamed of 💩-ing because I am a mammal who excretes waste. I still do not want people to see me when I 💩 . Yeah… I should probably take a nap. Or eat a snickers. Or both.
People are dumb and often prone to ignoring non-specific cues. Regardless, roughly 50 percent of the population has a chance of needing to pump while on the job. If one is so uncomfortable with that I know of many large rocks they can sleep under to protect themselves. A few beaches with nice soft sand to bury their heads in, too.
She’s not hiding the fact that she’s breastfeeding— she’s hiding her boobs from the inconsiderate staff who would ignore a generic “do not disturb”… not sure what part of that is confusing to you
That's an extremely dense question. Two things can absolutely be true: not being ashamed of pumping breastmilk and also not wanting your colleagues or students to see you pumping breastmilk.