Jury duty wrapped up today. Other than the initial phone experiences, the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, in downtown Los Angeles, has done a great job of accommodating breastfeeding. Since my last post, the accommodations have only improved.
The courtroom attendant, a kind but awkward gentleman, checked in with me several times to make sure the timing of our breaks was ok with my pumping schedule. “Juror number 9? [lowers his voice nearly to a whisper] I talked to the judge about your [voice drops even softer] . . . situation. . . ”
The judge offered to open the juror deliberation room, right behind the courtroom, for my pumping. It saved me a lot of walking and made the process much faster. I got to sit back in a comfy chair with a huge window-wall overlooking the city of Los Angeles as I pumped. Not bad.
I’m sure the other jurors wondered what was up with me, why I was being called aside, escorted out of the courtroom through a different door, and why did I carry that gym bag around everywhere?? I would have been more than happy to tell them about breastfeeding, but nobody asked. I remain a mystery . . .
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Glad things went well Christina! I could make a list of the worst places I’ve pumped after going back to work! A cold cement storage room – behind a curtain with people walking in and out to get things from a printer, a photo shoot loft with no door and people walking in without reading my sign to please wait, once in a storage room in the back of a warehouse during which a security guard and the owner of the company unlocked the door and almost walked in ( I was told no one else had the key!?), and in someone’s unused office – which was almost a nice experience, until several days later when I realized you could see into the office window from the outside and I had been pumping in there twice a day! ….. Although jobs are required to make accommodations for pumping, it seems no one really does. It’s more likely we will just have to see where we can hide out for 15 minutes without getting discovered.
Isn’t it interesting that our society accepts lots of cleavage showing in the workplace, but has to whisper about breastfeeding/pumping? Have we forgotten the main purpose of breasts?
yes, I thought it was really funny that the guy felt he had to whisper. I intentionally responded to him in a regular voice and with a smile to show him he didn’t have to be embarrassed about it!
Christine, WOW, what a list. Those “accommodations” are terrible! And it sure doesn’t help the milk-making process when you’re sitting there worrying about someone walking in on you!
I’m faced with the same situation this Friday although pumping doesn’ t work out for me-I get hardly anything. I’m nervous how it will work out for my baby to show up and need to be fed not to mention the craziness in scheduling people to watch her, drive her to me, etc.
Hi Jen- Thanks for stopping by. How old is your baby? Does your state allow postponing jury duty if you are either a stay-at-home caregiver or if you are breastfeeding? I’ve never had jury duty in a state other than CA so I don’t know how they all do it… but it doesn’t seem right that the court could make you serve at this time, especially if you baby has to be with you for feedings. I hope it gets worked out so you don’t have to go to too much trouble!