WOMEN Unlimited

Today was my second session of my WOMEN Unlimited program. WOMEN Unlimited runs a couple of very cool programs for high-potential women leaders. I'm enrolled in the TEAM Program (Training for Emerging and Aspiring Managers). I cannot say enough good things about it. If you ever get the chance to attend a WOMEN Unlimited program or sponsor a high-potential woman for one of the programs, DO IT!

I am so grateful to my general manager for nominating and sponsoring me for TEAM. It's a pretty significant investment of time (six sessions over six months) and money (over $3000). My GM actually made the decision to send me to this program while I was on maternity leave -- I'm amazed that she still thinks I'm high-potential, even with everything I have going on outside of work.

It's always tough to pump when I'm in training sessions like this, because the breaks are way too short. For example, today we got two breaks in the morning (10 mins and 4 mins), a one-hour break for lunch, and a 10-min break in the afternoon. Luckily, the sessions are held at a local hotel and they have been kind enough to give me a day room for free, but even so, I can hardly get up to my day room and then back down to the training room in 10 mins, let alone pump for any significant amount of time. And I don't want to be late getting back to my training, because then I'll miss out on good information. Not to mention the fact that we're supposed to be networking with the other women in the class during breaks, and sitting alone in my room pumping isn't real conducive to networking.

It helps that at the first session, the facilitator had us introduce ourselves in a unique way: She asked us to show everyone an item we'd brought with us that said something about ourselves. So I chose my breastpump :). Now, at least everyone knows where I go on breaks -- they know I'm not just being antisocial. I still feel like I'm missing out a little, but I do spend part of the lunch break talking with the other participants. That will have to do for now.

I'm looking forward to the last session. It's on June 5th, less than two weeks before Littles' first birthday. Once Littles turns one, she'll be able to drink whole milk, so that is when I will quit pumping for good. If I work things right with my freezer stash, at that last session, I may be able to skip pumping for the day. (Who cares if my milk supply tanks at that point?) That would be wonderful :)