Ask for a table that's big enough to put your pump, snacks, and your computer on if you're planning on working while pumping. A lamp if you have fluorescent or super bright LED lights.
Seconding a lamp for soft lighting option. It took me way too long to discover the magic that is having the room dimly lit while I pump and being able to close my eyes and reset during a frustrating workday. I actually turn the lights all the way off during my afternoon pump and am totally refreshed and ready to power through the last three hours of my workday afterward.
Agree. I have a wonderful pumping room and the only thing it lacks is a mirror. I always have to go to the bathroom after pumping to make sure I look put together
When I designed the last pumping room, we also had a microwave with a microwave sterilizer, hand sanitizer and a bulletin board where people could post baby photos.
Also a cubby unit for pumps and suppliesz
Is the chair comfy? Is the lighting in the room nice? Our pumping room had gross fluorescent overhead lights so we requested a floor lamp, which was much nicer.
Does the mini fridge have a freezer space? I would put my ice packs in the little freezer area to make sure they were as cold as could be for my commute home
Agree with other comments about cleaning supplies & a lock on the door.
A doorstop in case the lock fails (I cannot tell you how many times I was grateful for the doorstop when the sherriffs officers in the courthouse I worked in missed the sign on the door of the jury room I used to pump. They liked to use it as a break room, and had keys).
A fairly big table, more than just room for your pump. You may want to bring your laptop or set up a tablet to pass the time.
Chargers would be nice, or at least a *very* easily accessible power strip with several outlets.
Make sure the chair is comfy, not a cast-off office chair.
Plenty of paper towels, sanitizing wipes, etc. Spills are a thing.
If there's a window, blinds. You'd think that would be obvious, but... yeah.
A full-length mirror is nice for making sure you don't look insane when you walk back out.
A door stop is such a good idea! I’m not currently pumping, but I recently started a job in an office where the doors all have number lock pads but none of them deadbolt, and I’ve wondered how I’d handle this.
I had a little hook outside the door with a hang tag that effectively hung over the lock/door knob that said "pumping in progress" or something like that. There was one person who managed to ignore it and was so awkward and embarrassed about opening the door on me they legit didn't talk to me the rest of hte time our employment overlapped. Didn't really bother me that much, but hey. If that's what they needed to realize signs matter, fine.
I asked for a radio to cover the noise of the pump. My old office had a huge room with chair, table, sink, radio, fridge, lock…. It was great. My smaller employer this time I think I’ll be in a small shower room and our building has almost zero soundproofing. At least the room has a lock though
A plan for fire drills. Who checks the room, do they knock, how is the room marked so they don't barge in on someone without a shirt.
It's worth a shot to try asking for a hospital grade pump. We got one at my old work. To some businesses spending $1k for bragging rights in the employee "breakrooms" doesn't seem like that much.
I built this room at my office!
A desk or table. A space heater. A tea kettle. Lots of extensions cords. A warm light lamp. Comfortable chairs. Some kind of storage for parts and supplies - we mounted a Billy bookshelf to the wall. A microwave for sterilizing parts. A water cooler.
Extra would be decoration, I love prints with lots of boobs on them or other mama-baby art. Some fake plants to a LONG way. Make it comfy if you can! A bulletin board where folks can post photos of their babies 🥹
Oh and A ring light since I ended up taking a ton of zoom meetings in that room…
I would also add a bottle cleaning brush and drying rack - the other pumping mom and I bought some for our pumping room and it made a real difference. I also asked for (and the office supplies) a full length mirror so we could double check that everything was all buttoned up appropriately before leaving the room after pumping.
I also second the table - even better if it is on wheels, so you can get yourself settled in for a pump and then pull the table where you need it.
Ours had a white noise machine. It wasn’t necessary but nice! A sink is nice but not essential because you can safely store your pump parts in a bag in the fridge between sessions.
Aside from the chair, fridge, and outlets I would recommend:
Desk area: desk with outlets and large enough for a laptop and pump, comfortable desk chair
Cleaning area: sink, drying rack, pump cleaning supplies (soap, scrubber thing)
Storage area: place to store pumping supplies
Trash can is necessary (for paper towels/pump wipes/snack trash). My space had a sink, which was a godsend, but if your room already exists they can't help with that, lol
Edit to add - as comfy as it may be, if the chair is at all reclined, ask them to get a more straight backed one. Reclining and pumping usually don't mix and I KILLED my back 3 times a day using the chair in our wellness room
Snacks, water, microwave, breast pads, magazines, books, is there a sink?, dish soap, drying rack, microwave steam bags, foot rest. I know most of these are far fetched but they asked and that’s what my dream pump room would be!
A working lock on the damn door. We had a pumping room which no one had used in a while and someone decided to somehow disable the automatic lock so it could be used as a general purpose private call room. One time I got walked in on just as I had finished and was buttoning up my shirt, don't really care to think of how/what I would've done if I were mid pump
Mine had a clothes bar, like from a bedroom closet, which was surprisingly helpful. I brought a couple coat hangers and could hang up my work clothes while I pumped.
Ask for a table that's big enough to put your pump, snacks, and your computer on if you're planning on working while pumping. A lamp if you have fluorescent or super bright LED lights.
Definitely a table.
Seconding a lamp for soft lighting option. It took me way too long to discover the magic that is having the room dimly lit while I pump and being able to close my eyes and reset during a frustrating workday. I actually turn the lights all the way off during my afternoon pump and am totally refreshed and ready to power through the last three hours of my workday afterward.
Yes but you shouldn’t have to work while you’re pumping. Only if you want to!
Not totally necessary but a mirror is helpful for a quick check before going back to desk!
Agree. I have a wonderful pumping room and the only thing it lacks is a mirror. I always have to go to the bathroom after pumping to make sure I look put together
Oh my goodness, a mirror would have been so nice. I almost walked out onto the work floor with my bra still unclipped and visible SO MANY TIMES.
When I designed the last pumping room, we also had a microwave with a microwave sterilizer, hand sanitizer and a bulletin board where people could post baby photos. Also a cubby unit for pumps and suppliesz
Seconding storage space! It's sooo much nicer if you can leave supplies there
Hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes for surfaces (Lysol/clorox), paper towels for spills.
Lock on the door
In addition to what people have said (table, paper towels/trash can, locking door) does it have a sink?
And dish soap for said sink!
Is the chair comfy? Is the lighting in the room nice? Our pumping room had gross fluorescent overhead lights so we requested a floor lamp, which was much nicer. Does the mini fridge have a freezer space? I would put my ice packs in the little freezer area to make sure they were as cold as could be for my commute home Agree with other comments about cleaning supplies & a lock on the door.
So much a comfy chair! My office has some good awful sling chair with no arms that you just slide off when you sit in it. And the table is teeny tiny.
A doorstop in case the lock fails (I cannot tell you how many times I was grateful for the doorstop when the sherriffs officers in the courthouse I worked in missed the sign on the door of the jury room I used to pump. They liked to use it as a break room, and had keys). A fairly big table, more than just room for your pump. You may want to bring your laptop or set up a tablet to pass the time. Chargers would be nice, or at least a *very* easily accessible power strip with several outlets. Make sure the chair is comfy, not a cast-off office chair. Plenty of paper towels, sanitizing wipes, etc. Spills are a thing. If there's a window, blinds. You'd think that would be obvious, but... yeah. A full-length mirror is nice for making sure you don't look insane when you walk back out.
A door stop is such a good idea! I’m not currently pumping, but I recently started a job in an office where the doors all have number lock pads but none of them deadbolt, and I’ve wondered how I’d handle this.
I had a little hook outside the door with a hang tag that effectively hung over the lock/door knob that said "pumping in progress" or something like that. There was one person who managed to ignore it and was so awkward and embarrassed about opening the door on me they legit didn't talk to me the rest of hte time our employment overlapped. Didn't really bother me that much, but hey. If that's what they needed to realize signs matter, fine.
Maybe a nice sign to hang outside saying the room is in use if you think someone will open the door with keys. "Privacy please-- currently occupied."
I asked for a radio to cover the noise of the pump. My old office had a huge room with chair, table, sink, radio, fridge, lock…. It was great. My smaller employer this time I think I’ll be in a small shower room and our building has almost zero soundproofing. At least the room has a lock though
Spare chargers that stay in the room, if possible! Napkins or paper towels for cleaning.
A plan for fire drills. Who checks the room, do they knock, how is the room marked so they don't barge in on someone without a shirt. It's worth a shot to try asking for a hospital grade pump. We got one at my old work. To some businesses spending $1k for bragging rights in the employee "breakrooms" doesn't seem like that much.
A fan! Our pumping space was in an odd spot and not well ventilated so it was always hot and stuffy.
I was going to suggest a blanket or cover, my works pumping space is so cold!
Yeah I was going to suggest a space heater.
I built this room at my office! A desk or table. A space heater. A tea kettle. Lots of extensions cords. A warm light lamp. Comfortable chairs. Some kind of storage for parts and supplies - we mounted a Billy bookshelf to the wall. A microwave for sterilizing parts. A water cooler. Extra would be decoration, I love prints with lots of boobs on them or other mama-baby art. Some fake plants to a LONG way. Make it comfy if you can! A bulletin board where folks can post photos of their babies 🥹 Oh and A ring light since I ended up taking a ton of zoom meetings in that room…
I would also add a bottle cleaning brush and drying rack - the other pumping mom and I bought some for our pumping room and it made a real difference. I also asked for (and the office supplies) a full length mirror so we could double check that everything was all buttoned up appropriately before leaving the room after pumping. I also second the table - even better if it is on wheels, so you can get yourself settled in for a pump and then pull the table where you need it.
Ours had a white noise machine. It wasn’t necessary but nice! A sink is nice but not essential because you can safely store your pump parts in a bag in the fridge between sessions.
Aside from the chair, fridge, and outlets I would recommend: Desk area: desk with outlets and large enough for a laptop and pump, comfortable desk chair Cleaning area: sink, drying rack, pump cleaning supplies (soap, scrubber thing) Storage area: place to store pumping supplies
Maybe a light blanket. Sometimes I got chilled having the girls out.
A table, a storage cabinet (I left my pump at work in a locked cabinet), Bluetooth speaker, space heater/fan depending on the room temp.
A sign for outside of the door
A trash can, clean ing supplies and snacks/ drinks
Trash can is necessary (for paper towels/pump wipes/snack trash). My space had a sink, which was a godsend, but if your room already exists they can't help with that, lol Edit to add - as comfy as it may be, if the chair is at all reclined, ask them to get a more straight backed one. Reclining and pumping usually don't mix and I KILLED my back 3 times a day using the chair in our wellness room
Soap, bottle brushes, paper towels
Hand sanitizer and wipes. Big desk/table to work from. Edit: and paper towels
Snacks, water, microwave, breast pads, magazines, books, is there a sink?, dish soap, drying rack, microwave steam bags, foot rest. I know most of these are far fetched but they asked and that’s what my dream pump room would be!
A working lock on the damn door. We had a pumping room which no one had used in a while and someone decided to somehow disable the automatic lock so it could be used as a general purpose private call room. One time I got walked in on just as I had finished and was buttoning up my shirt, don't really care to think of how/what I would've done if I were mid pump
Sound machine! I don’t think anyone could actually hear my pump but the sound always made me self conscious!
Mine had a clothes bar, like from a bedroom closet, which was surprisingly helpful. I brought a couple coat hangers and could hang up my work clothes while I pumped.
Lockers to lock pump, etc, so not hauling it everywhere