Back to Top
      

December 2016 : A Day in the Life: Working Mom (with Babies) Edition

divider
Carrie Chambers, Communications Committee Member
Carrie Chambers, Communications Committee Member
By Carrie Chambers, Communications Committee Member
(Committee Spotlight)

It's 12:23pm. I have 37 minutes until I need to pump breast milk — again — for my youngest daughter, who is 6.5 months old. Three times a day, I release my laptop from my docking station at my cubicle desk, plug it into a network cable in a small office or "mother's room" and attempt to pump while continuing to research and write technical documents, listen to conference calls, and stay on top of emails and other work. When I'm finished pumping, I bag and store my milk in the office refrigerator or freezer, wash all my pump parts, refill my water glass, and go back to my cubicle. My coworkers are so used to me doing all of this that they don't flinch anymore when they see a bag of frozen milk next to their tub of ice cream in the freezer or see a pump flange drying next to the kitchen sink. I then have about two hours until I need to repeat this process. I feel incredibly inefficient and always like I am never getting as much work done as I want to. And, today, my laptop has decided that I've plugged it into and pulled it out of its docking station one too many times and so it's rebelling and not allowing me to use my dual monitors, keyboard, or mouse. My productivity just plummeted further.

All of this pumping and back and forth to the mother's room started a few hours after my day began. My day officially started when my 2.5 year old daughter walked into our bedroom at 6am and told me that she wanted to wear a pretty dress today. It was too early for pretty dresses, so I invited her to crawl into bed with us. She snuggled up between us, stared at me, squirmed, and shoved her stuffed doggie into my face. Honestly, I feel like my yesterday never ended — I'm just in one big long sleepless time warp. I left work at 3:30pm yesterday for a 3:45pm minor surgery appointment. I was late. I always am. Then I rushed home to pump, make dinner, feed the kids, bathe the kids, nurse the baby to sleep at 7:30pm, and snuggle with the toddler and listen to lullabies with her. I whispered in her ear over and over that I love her all the time, no matter what, so that she knows that as much as she knows that the sun will always rise. Then I nursed the baby back to sleep again at 8:30pm. Did laundry. Cleaned up from dinner. Washed pump parts and bottles and the 76 pieces that go with each bottle these days. Got out milk and homemade baby food for the next day from the deep freezer. Prepared the swim bag for tomorrow night's lessons. Packed my pumping bag. Put everything I needed for the next day into the car. Showered. Went to bed, but woke up at 11:30pm, 12:30am, 2:30am, 6:30am, and 7:30am to the sounds of the baby crying. Nursed her back to sleep over and over and over again.

My feet touched the bedroom carpet and my arms pulled my toddler out of our bed. We got dressed, brushed teeth, combed hairs, and made bottles. After all of the preparations from the night before, you'd think that we'd be out the door in the morning in no time. You would be very wrong, though. The baby spit up — a lot. I changed her and was actually appreciative when the dog licked it off the floor. My toddler insisted that I ride in the back of the car with her, which is impossible to do while driving. I finally dropped them — and a part of my heart — off at daycare. Eventually, I walked into the office. And now I'm spending my day pumping milk for my baby since she only drinks breast milk and trying to eek out enough of a paycheck to write a monthly check to daycare for $2,250. Yes, you read that right. And while I'm here feeling like I am not working hard enough or fast enough or ever getting enough done, I feel extreme guilt and sadness that my girls spend more waking hours with their daycare providers than with me. Excuse me while I stop for a little cry . . . .

You do what you gotta do, though, right? And it won't be this way for long. Eventually, the baby will sleep through the night. I won't have to pump breast milk. I won't have to write away a significant portion of my salary to daycare. I will be more efficient. I will get more done. I will feel better about myself. Right?

When I volunteered to write this article for the newsletter, I think the editors and I thought it would be a funny piece. I'd tell you how, while in tears reading a very touching story book to my toddler and being overwhelmed by my love for her, she peed all over me (file under: funny now, but not then). I'd tell you about the one time that I dared to go to the bathroom alone (with the door open!), my toddler rocked my infant out of her car seat and she flew out, head first, onto the tile floor (file under: bad mom). I'd tell you about how, while nursing my infant in the San Diego Natural History Museum, my toddler ran off, took the elevator down one floor, and freaked out because she couldn't find me (file under: bad mom, again). I'd tell you about my toddler asking me multiple times if we could turn her car seat around so that she could be forward facing and me saying "no" so many times that she replied, "You always say 'no' to everything" (file under: good mom for being safe!). I think we all thought that this would be an article about the funny craziness that life is with young kids. But when I rush to drop my babies off at daycare, rush to work to pump and never get enough done, rush to make dinner and do all the things at home that need to get done (while still never getting enough done), rush to shower and even to complete medical procedures, rush to squeeze in a small amount of sleep before the baby wakes, rush the lullabies and whispers of affirmation, well, I don't find it funny. I'm too tired to laugh now.

But I know. I know that you working mamas out there who have gone before me will read this and remember when you, too, lived this life. You'll remember how hard it was, but also that it got easier — at least physically easier. And you'll even look back and wish for a day in your life with your sweet babies again, or a slice of quietude in the middle of the night when the rest of the house is asleep and you are awake nursing your baby, or even a kick in your side from your toddler as she snuggles up with you in your bed. I doubt that you look back and wish you'd gotten more done at work or home, though. So as exhausting as life as a working mom with small babies is, I know that this, right now, is the life. This is what it's all about.

And now I need to go and pump again . . . .





Back to: December 2016 : December 2016 Newsletter


OWA Sponsors





Location

14070 Proton Road
Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75244

Contact

972.233.9107 x207

Follow Us

Member Directory

Members can access the Member Directory to Find other OWA members, along with their email, phone, and social media contact information. Login below to access.

Account Login





Copyright © 2007 - 2024 Optical Women's Association. All Rights Reserved