Could not wait to make this gem of a post. I’m so freaking mad I don’t know what to do. I’m beyond ready to quit my job.
I’m a dental assistant. My LO is 6 months old. I’ve been exclusively pumping since she was about a month – maybe a month and a half – old due to a tongue tie that didn’t get clipped all the way, nipple confusion from supplementing pumped milk with a syringe, and a misdiagnosis of thrush. I pump every six hours, four times a day (6am, 12pm, 6pm, 12am). I went back to work when LO was 3 months old and they are well aware I need to pump on my lunch break.
There are two doctors at the practice where I work, and while one of them is significantly more laid back than the other, the assistants are always walking on eggshells. Today I was assisting with cementing two crowns with the more laid back doctor, and my pump alarm went off at 11:50. I silenced it and continued working. One of the other assistants came in right at 12 and asked me if I needed to switch. We were about to do the final cure (the step where you use the light to fully harden the cement), but I went ahead and said yes because the doctor still needed to clean the excess cement, floss, check the bite, and then I would have to take an X-ray to make sure she didn’t leave any cement (maybe another 10 minutes, IF there wasn’t any cement left. If cement had been left that could have been another 20). The other assistant knows I have an oversupply and am prone to clogs so she was looking out for me.
Later that day, the doctor comes up to me and asks “did you leave early because you had to pump?” and when I said yes she came back at me with “couldn’t you have waited? We were just cleaning up cement”.
I’m still so pissed. I should have pointed out that cleaning cement isn’t a quick process when there’s a stubborn piece left, which is a common occurrence (and I would have been screwed if it was SO stubborn it needed a hygienist bc they were at lunch), but instead I said “well OtherAssistant was there and she knows I’m prone to clogs, but yeah I guess I can wait next time”.
What a fucking stupid response. I can’t wait to quit.
And btw, by the time I hooked up to the Spectra (12:06) I HAD A CLOG. Thanks for listening.