So, Occupational Health had "suggested" (read accused) that I had Post Natal Depression because I got so upset that someone tampered with my breastmilk at work.
When I came off the 25 minute call, where I was assured that the Corporation had done everything they were supposed to, I was so angry and still feeling very violated. The bit I was most angry about was that this woman's suggestion had me thinking that maybe she was right. Maybe I was suffering from Post Natal Depression. Maybe my reaction was a bit over the top. Probably nobody had been into my milk, they had just had a nose and had a look at what was in it. She made me question myself and my reaction. I even talked to my husband (who was livid about what had happened) and asked him if he thought I was suffering from Post Natal Depression (PND). He confirmed that I absolutely wasn't and that he felt that my reaction was justifiable. I also spoke to a friend who is also breastfeeding and she said that once you know that your milk has been touched it's no longer sterile anyway so you can't use it.
I couldn't physically throw the milk away so my husband had to do it. I had no idea I had such an emotional attachment to it.
Work have since put a lock on the fridge which was supposed to be fitted the following day. It took a week to fit and whilst I waited I was told to store my milk in a cool bag with ice packs. Nice.
Occupational Health had suggested I get in touch with my Health Visitor. I phoned my Health Visitor who was absolutely brilliant. I know a lot of people knock Health Visitors but mine was excellent all the way through. She said that if anyone had tampered with her breastmilk she would have been "incensed with rage". She said that my reaction was exactly what she would have expected and she was horrified that Occupational Health suggested that it was because I was suffering with PND. She suggested I go to the Doctors and take all of the PND questionnaires in case work come back and try any "funny stuff".
I was a little bit naughty and made the doctor's appointment during works time because I felt a little bit rebellious. Did the PND questionnaires and came up as: a little bit tired. Well, duh! I'm a Mum of a 7 month old Dumpling who is working part time, course I'm bloody tired! lol.
I emailed my Manager to tell him what had happened and I got an email back saying he was on holiday (nice to be informed of these things!) and that he takes these things "very seriously" and that he would "Support me 100% in my return to work". I didn't dare mention that I had already been back at work six weeks. Oh and guess what, he sent the email four weeks ago and I haven't heard anything since. So, all that rhetoric about supporting Mum's returning to work, It's total bollocks. I wonder if all Companies are like this or I'm just lucky? ;-)
Friday, 14 October 2011
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Poogate
Warning: the following post might make you feel a bit sick...
There was an incident this summer at work when I was on Maternity Leave. Somebody "poo'd" in a plastic cup and left it in the toilets.
Yup. Really.
I work for a major Corporation and it says a lot if your employees feel so dissatisfied that they choose to go to such lengths. Lets not even mention the frequent blocking of the men's toilets so that the sewage leaked everywhere.
Annnnyway, I returned to work in August. I was (and am) still breastfeeding. There was a lot of hooha about me needing my own fridge to store my milk in. The lady who sorted it out was very proud of the sign that she made which said "Only Authorised Personnel to use". I wasn't completely comfortable about leaving my milk in the fridge as it was in the middle of the kitchen that everyone has access too (about 150 people). However, I stored the little bottle in one of those Tommee Tippee microwave tubs so you couldn't see what it was if you just opened the fridge to have a nose.
A few weeks in, someone decided to leave their beef slices and cottage cheese in my fridge. I actually thought it was quite funny at the time. However, the "Fridge Lady" was very annoyed and sent a very strongly worded email out to everyone saying that only Authorised Personnel could use the fridge. She then said she would have the fridge cleaned in case of "contamination". I thought this was a bit bizarre cause the milk was stored in the same fridge as our food at home.
The following week I had finished for the day and went up to collect my milk that was stored in the fridge. Except it had been moved. It wasn't in the same place I had put it. Which meant someone had gone in and done "something" to it.
I told the "Fridge Lady" and as I drove home I got more and more upset and more and more angry. When I got home I could barely talk I was crying so hard. I wanted to do something and the only thing I could think of doing was to phone Occupational Health and explain what had happened.
Do you know what the lady from Occupational Health said? She said that the Corporation had done everything they were supposed to do and that, based on my reaction, I was probably suffering with Post Natal Depression...
I'm going to finish this in another post tomorrow.
There was an incident this summer at work when I was on Maternity Leave. Somebody "poo'd" in a plastic cup and left it in the toilets.
Yup. Really.
I work for a major Corporation and it says a lot if your employees feel so dissatisfied that they choose to go to such lengths. Lets not even mention the frequent blocking of the men's toilets so that the sewage leaked everywhere.
Annnnyway, I returned to work in August. I was (and am) still breastfeeding. There was a lot of hooha about me needing my own fridge to store my milk in. The lady who sorted it out was very proud of the sign that she made which said "Only Authorised Personnel to use". I wasn't completely comfortable about leaving my milk in the fridge as it was in the middle of the kitchen that everyone has access too (about 150 people). However, I stored the little bottle in one of those Tommee Tippee microwave tubs so you couldn't see what it was if you just opened the fridge to have a nose.
A few weeks in, someone decided to leave their beef slices and cottage cheese in my fridge. I actually thought it was quite funny at the time. However, the "Fridge Lady" was very annoyed and sent a very strongly worded email out to everyone saying that only Authorised Personnel could use the fridge. She then said she would have the fridge cleaned in case of "contamination". I thought this was a bit bizarre cause the milk was stored in the same fridge as our food at home.
The following week I had finished for the day and went up to collect my milk that was stored in the fridge. Except it had been moved. It wasn't in the same place I had put it. Which meant someone had gone in and done "something" to it.
I told the "Fridge Lady" and as I drove home I got more and more upset and more and more angry. When I got home I could barely talk I was crying so hard. I wanted to do something and the only thing I could think of doing was to phone Occupational Health and explain what had happened.
Do you know what the lady from Occupational Health said? She said that the Corporation had done everything they were supposed to do and that, based on my reaction, I was probably suffering with Post Natal Depression...
I'm going to finish this in another post tomorrow.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Curveballs
Yup, I know. It's been bloody AGES since I've posted anything. Have a bit of a confession. I'm running another blog and it's wildly more successful than this one so I've kind of been focusing on that. Oh yes, and Dumpling, "returning to work", running a household and trying not to neglect PH and all of my friends. Or this blog of course <blush>.
It's been quite a challenging couple of months. First there was the whole "going back to work" crap. God was it awful. The first month just sucked. I can't complain though cause I'm only working from Mon-Wed. Although I can tell you that this is MORE than enough. I literally skip out of the office on Wednesday evening. Dropping Dumpling at nursery was just the worst. I seem to be coping now though, which I guess is a good thing.
PH started a new job three weeks ago. GOODBYE MILITARY!!!!!!!!!! whooohooo!!! Not sure I mentioned that PH worked for the military. If he'd stayed he would have been away for 9 months of the year. So we made a decision that it would be best for him to exit quickly, before all the Defence cuts kicked in and he'd be competing with 40 of his colleagues for one job. Pleased to report he's very, very happy in his new job. So that's one less thing to worry about.
Oh and of course there has been the whole "somebody tampered with my breast milk at work" scenario. Going to do a seperate blog post for that soon. Then there's the Jury Service/Projectile Vomiting scenario. Bet you are looking forward to the post on that! Seriously, you couldn't make half of this crap up.
And then there is Dumpling. Who is still perfect despite teething and being a little rat bag over the weekend. She's proper crawling now, which meant everything went UP off the floor very quickly. She's tormented the cat and has scars to prove it (bad parenting and PH went bonkers when he found out. The scar is fading thank goodness...opps!). She's started on proper food and loves it all. Apart from Swede. That gives her the worst screaming tantrum in the night. Oh and did I mention that was the day before I started back at work? Anyway, she's still perfect and I still just want to kiss her cheeks all the time.
So, that's it for now. Again, I'm going to make a concerted effort to try to find my voice a bit more, assuming my other blog doesn't take up all my time! That sounds awful doesn't it. lol.
It's been quite a challenging couple of months. First there was the whole "going back to work" crap. God was it awful. The first month just sucked. I can't complain though cause I'm only working from Mon-Wed. Although I can tell you that this is MORE than enough. I literally skip out of the office on Wednesday evening. Dropping Dumpling at nursery was just the worst. I seem to be coping now though, which I guess is a good thing.
PH started a new job three weeks ago. GOODBYE MILITARY!!!!!!!!!! whooohooo!!! Not sure I mentioned that PH worked for the military. If he'd stayed he would have been away for 9 months of the year. So we made a decision that it would be best for him to exit quickly, before all the Defence cuts kicked in and he'd be competing with 40 of his colleagues for one job. Pleased to report he's very, very happy in his new job. So that's one less thing to worry about.
Oh and of course there has been the whole "somebody tampered with my breast milk at work" scenario. Going to do a seperate blog post for that soon. Then there's the Jury Service/Projectile Vomiting scenario. Bet you are looking forward to the post on that! Seriously, you couldn't make half of this crap up.
And then there is Dumpling. Who is still perfect despite teething and being a little rat bag over the weekend. She's proper crawling now, which meant everything went UP off the floor very quickly. She's tormented the cat and has scars to prove it (bad parenting and PH went bonkers when he found out. The scar is fading thank goodness...opps!). She's started on proper food and loves it all. Apart from Swede. That gives her the worst screaming tantrum in the night. Oh and did I mention that was the day before I started back at work? Anyway, she's still perfect and I still just want to kiss her cheeks all the time.
So, that's it for now. Again, I'm going to make a concerted effort to try to find my voice a bit more, assuming my other blog doesn't take up all my time! That sounds awful doesn't it. lol.
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