My son Benjamin was born October 23rd, 1997. I put him to breast
only minutes after he was born, setting the stage for a very successful breastfeeding
relationship. Benjamin is the picture of health now at 8.5 months, with chubby little
thighs and a smile that melts your heart, and he is still breastfeeding.
Having returned to work when he was just 11 weeks old, I invested in an excellent electric
breast pump. The office where I work did not at the time have any
private rooms, and occasionally I would travel to other offices as well. So needless to
say, I have pumped in some weird places - a freezing cold equipment closet, a hotel
conference room before a meeting (with a 'please do not enter' sign on the door), a public
bathroom, also with a makeshift 'please do not enter' sign on the door. But nothing tops a
recent experience I had while traveling...
On a return flight to Cleveland from New York after a department meeting, my colleagues
and I found ourselves sitting on the tarmac in a rainstorm. As we sat there in the 87
degree stuffiness wondering when this 6:30 p.m. flight - it was now 7:30 - might possibly
take off, I developed a healthy concern for my breasts, which were becoming quite full. I
had flown in for the meeting earlier that day, and with all of the day's activities, I'd
only managed to pump once - now 6 hours ago! I did some calculations in my mind, and
realized that even if took off soon, there was no way I'd be able to wait until arriving
home to feed my son. But sitting on an airplane full of sweaty passengers - one of whom
was my boss - and knowing there was no electrical outlet in the
bathroom, I was getting
a little nervous.
I approached the flight crew in the galley and discreetly explained my dilemma. They were
very understanding and friendly, and together we tried to figure out my options.
"There's an outlet in the galley - we could pull the curtain for you, and you could
do it right here," Sherry said. Hesitant but hopeful, I returned to my seat to
retrieve my pump and see if the electricity was working (the captain had to turn off one
of the engines to conserve fuel, so the crew was unsure of whether or not the outlet would
work). Unfortunately, my pump's cord was one of those big clunky plugs, and the galley
outlet was surrounded by raised plastic - it wouldn't fit! Panic was beginning to set in,
as we discussed how I might need to declare a medical emergency, and paramedics would come
and take me back to the terminal. Yikes! Even so, I would then need to find a hotel, and
reschedule a flight back home - and I had to return to New York again the very next
morning for yet another ill-timed meeting, so this was not looking like an attractive
option at all.
Mulling it over a while, Sherry came up with an idea. "What if we had an electrical
adapter?"
"Ladies and gentleman, may I have your attention please. If anyone
has an electrical adapter in their possession, please ring your flight attendant call
button."
Sure enough, as we held our breath in the galley, we heard the gentle bong of a flight
attendant call button! Minutes later, with the galley curtain pulled, there I was perched
on a crate of wine, breast pump whirring away, a look of profound relief on my face.
I finally arrived home at 11 p.m., and relayed this incredible ordeal to my husband, Arthur;
well, he immediately left the room, and came back a minute later with an electrical
adapter. "Oh, come on. What are the chances of this happening again?" I thought,
even as I put it into my breast pump case.
The next morning I headed off to New York again, my newly equipped pump in tow. And, once
again - incredibly - I found myself on that same 6:30 p.m. flight home, again delayed due to
bad weather! Sherry's original resourcefulness - and my husband's thoughtfulness - paid
off twice. Because I found relief again in the galley of Continental #183, sitting atop a
crate of wine...
by Michelle Gugick
Mother of Benjamin Louis Gugick
and Marketing Manager, Ernst & Young LLP
