Already I've joined a Breastfeeding Moms on Campus group that meets monthly for women who are considering, preparing for, or already breastfeeding--and this includes all staff, faculty, students, and partners of those people. (I'm going to put off going to these meetings for a while because there's another meeting at the same time.) Our campus has 26 "lactation stations" throughout campus, equipped with comfortable chairs, changing tables, locking doors, and hospital-grade pumps. Pump accessories kits for users are sold at all the bookstores and include a little insulated bag with icepacks in case your office or lab doesn't have a fridge to store the pumped milk in. There is a full-time lactation consultant on the main campus who is available for any questions and assistance with breastfeeding issues.
At lunch today I went to my first weekly Pregnant Graduate Students Support Group through the Womens Resource & Research Center. I met 4 other grad students who are expecting. We just chatted about our research, how to afford childcare (yikes) and health insurance (double yikes), and how our professors are coping with our new condition. At next week's meeting there will be a doula speaking to us about birth method options.Although I'm not allowed to ride my bike for the duration of the pregnancy, I'm lucky that the bus line I take stops at the hospital/birthing center/doctors office complex that I go to so I don't even have to drive when I have regular appointments.
I joke with Dave that when I got into labor I'll either take the bus or call my professor for a ride since Dave will likely be up in Gualala working and will just have to make the 3+ hour drive down to Davis to meet me at the hospital once I go into labor. Haha. Ok...so I half-joke about this because these are my options--it isn't realistic for Dave to take time off from work for the 4 week time frame during which I could go into labor. And since my dad still works and my mom has chemo appointments every week I don't really think either of them can just hang around the house with me either. It might sound like I'm complaining, but I'm completely comfortable with my bus/professor options. Having my professor drive me to the hospital to give birth might sound creepy to some people, but that's only because you don't know my professor--he's wonderful and very supportive. Lucky me! =)
4 comments:
I am so glad we hired a doula for Andrew. We are going to start interviewing again for baby Samantha. That is awesome that there are so many resources. I don't know about the BYU stuff--I never went there, but there are a TON I mean TON of pregnant people here.
26 lactation stations?? That is insane. And insanely awesome.
lactation stations hahaha thats the coolest thing ive ever heard of, not even byu has those!
That is so cool that UCD has so many options for you! I wonder if Neil will let me go home for that month so that I can take you to the hospital. Hmm...this is an interesting idea that I'll have to think about.
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