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Anyone on pros and cons of A&M PEPI group?
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Anybody who joined in @CGI in june got hike?
Fuel prices 🚀
Especially for companies doing heavy hiring!
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Hey there! You’re not alone; so many moms had the same worries you do that I made a deck for this very situation…
“Breastfeeding & Production Tips: For Those On Set Throughout Advertising Productions” can be found here: https://reel.io/__8NqlD/Breastfeeding
Not only a fabulous production company, but this too? I heart you Cortez brothers.
Eeeeeeeeee wtf!!! First, make your agency pay for Milk Stork or a similar service (https://www.milkstork.com) while you’re at the shoot).
Second, no one, especially your boss, should be telling you how to feed your baby (I was mainly a formula mom and im still so appalled by her comment).
I think that only you can decide what’s best for you and your family. I think the ages of your kids is what makes this so hard because they’re so young. Its okay to recognize that this (traveling for work) was stuff you used to love doing and now your priorities have shifted because your family expanded. That doesn’t mean it will always be this way.
Good luck, mama. Give yourself some grace in all of this.
Ask them to pay for MilkStork or your baby goes hungry…it’s a few hundred dollars. Otherwise, perhaps they can have someone fill in for you. This is just a season in life - but a tiny human depends on you fully to thrive. I’m so sorry you’re in a position where your team lacks empathy and understanding.
My heart goes out to you and honestly, I shed a small tear remembering my own experiences as a traveling producer, mother of 3.
Ok, now to wipe away the tears and give you some solves. Let’s do this.
1. Industrial pump rented and set in your hotel room. Bring your travel pump / ice packs. 2. We are shipping our milk back. 3. Hotel with a PROPER refrigerator to transport pumped milk. 4. We need access to a microwave to sterilize. 5. Set needs a room with a door that locks for pumping. 6. Portable monitor to take with you to pump room so you don’t miss shots. 7 working with line producer to figure out pump breaks and accommodations.
Before you go - power pump, freeze extra milk. Take baby clothes with you to help ease your anxiety. I slept with my babies clothes while I traveled. I also brought a picture in my pump bag. You need fenugreek to help with production as it might decline a bit.
Keep pumping. Keep staying positive. Don’t quit your career yet. They are only little for a short time, it gets better.
And we are letting the formula comment go for sanity. Ignorance sure is bliss, isn’t it!
Also, regards to anxiety. Try chamomile tea. Also talk to lactation consultant about CBD.
In the short term, Is there anything I should ask from my agency to support me? My account and creatives are very supportive/understanding but my boss isn’t. She actually suggested I consider formula feeding while I’m away. Sigh. Any advice on how to cope with the anxiety of being away from my family? In the long term, should I consider giving up producing? I used to love it, and the travel aspect, but the pandemic has made me nervous to be away from my family.
Wow, your boss sounds like a piece of work. How dare she suggest what you should do (formula feed) while away from your baby. I would think about going to HR…I’m so sorry you are struggling with this.
Can your family come with you to the shoot? When I was still breastfeeding, I told my agency that my baby needed to come with me, as I was still nursing. They ended up paying for all our travel and I directed most of the shoot with a baby stuck to my boob. 🤷♀️
Yes I’ve heard of this too; Traveling with baby and bringing a support person, like a spouse or baby’s grandparent on long trips. My toddler makes that a bit complicated for us. And for that reason, it’s better that they stay home this time. If I have to travel for a long period, I would prefer to bring my mom along but she still works. It’s kinda tough all around.
Thank you mamas for your advice and your empathy! I feel a little better knowing I am not alone in this struggle. I wish the USA gave us more time to be with our babies! Thank you for your support here.
Can you go above your boss or maybe HR? Or, you could basically set your own boundaries and tell your boss this is how it is going to work. Don’t be afraid to ask very directly for what you want!
I think you’re right. If I get on a project that requires me to be gone for a long time, I’ll find a way to manage the project remotely.
I’ll be the differing voice - it’s not actually offensive that she suggested formula! She likely had no idea that some people act like it’s akin to suggesting that you leave the infant in a dumpster to fend for itself! It’s a mommy war hot button that the rest of the world, watching tv ads for formulas, has no idea is so loaded. Please do not get her in trouble for saying it!
Take her feedback and advice as her saying “I dunno, figure it out as many others have done and will continue to do!” I think just as many moms would be peeved if their boss assumed they did not want to travel anymore! She can’t read your mind or solve your issue. What she can do is approve or not approve any solutions you bring to the table (cutting trip short, not traveling for a few months, bringing the kid, switching bc roles, etc.)
(My boss once said I could leave my infant with “anyone, because they are too young to even notice who it is,” when my care fell through and by fell through I mean was diagnosed with cancer and was also my parent. That’s worth a “sigh” not the suggestion that you maybe try to do something that millions of other women do by actual choice!”)
I think my boss has no idea that suggesting formula might be offensive to a nursing mom. I’m not going to get her “in trouble” but I would appreciate some attempt at empathy from her. I haven’t traveled for a project since 2019! This business is heartless. I’m so sorry your boss was insensitive around your parent’s diagnosis. as if it wasn’t already hard enough to be a working mom, leadership can make it worse when they are cluelessly insensitive.
I’m in your same position. I love the travel with work but also dread being away and pumping. No advice except to go with your gut
I share your anxieties, mama! My kiddo is past the breast milk stage, but I still feel like travel just isn’t the fun it used to be. It’s disruptive for my home life, and, frankly, just makes me sad. I wish I could take a sabbatical from the travel aspect of work—if only for a few years.
Oh I want to hug you so hard. So many good bits of advice already here but I cannot express enough that your boss cannot suggest a damn thing about how to handle nourishing your little one while traveling. Do what works for you and baby always ♥️
I was lucky enough to have my mom join me (as my day time nanny) & my 4 month old on my first shoot back from maternity leave. It wasn't likely fun for anyone, but I didn't want a job to dictate when I could/couldn't nurse my baby, or decide when I would be done nursing. It was tough for us all; she was cooped up with a baby in a hotel room, I was pumping on set & then was exhausted from shooting all day & coming back to all the craziness of a baby in the room. This was the best solution for us, maybe some form of it could work for you too. Best of luck!
Sorry for your stress. When I first came back from mat leave with my first (5 days/week in person), I was so sad and a coworker gave me great advice. She said, give yourself a time limit of how long you'll try to get used to your new situation - 3 months, 6 months, whatever. Then when you can make an informed decision, decide what you want to do. Because if we all went with our gut those first days back, we would all quit our jobs, and you want to keep your options open. Also, FWIW I found pump and dump was actually less stressful overall when traveling. Your boss was maybe insensitive in their delivery, but health wise a few days of formula will be fine for your 4 month old.