It may be hard to believe this, but something happened at the Golden Globes other than Oprah Winfrey taking center stage.
Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed, whose daughter was born in July, toted around Reed’s breast pump at the black-tie affair. The actress posted a pic of her hubby carrying around pumping supplies in a to-go container.
Who hasn’t been there? You’ve got to be somewhere but you’ve gotta pump. Most of us carry our pump in a bag made by the manufacturer, and others have some sort of bag so they can pump on the go. The cardboard-colored to-go box—Chinese food, anyone?—was the first time I’ve seen that done. But I admire them.
The media focuses a lot on breastfeeding in public, but the truth is that many women need to pump on the go. Some are exclusively breastfeeding, which still can involve pumping. But you rarely see women doting on their breast pumps, though some celebrities recently have done so. (Not that we need them to tell us something is acceptable!)
Others, like me, are exclusively pumping.
Not many people realize that there are women who only pump. For one reason or another, breastfeeding didn’t work out for us and we live on the pump. I chose to exclusively pump after nursing was a bust for numerous reasons. I recently found out my son can’t tolerate a protein in my breastmilk (yes, I cut dairy) and my husband and I decided to put him on hypoallergenic formula. We didn’t want to play the elimination diet guessing game and risk one minute more of him being uncomfortable. It was a great choice for us.
Even though my pumping days are almost over, seeing the couple be open about their breast pumping needs was like a breath of fresh air. Not only did I understand the challenge of pumping and having to leave the house, but it was a good reminder that women should be praised regardless of what—or how—they feed their babies.
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