An ER doctor who's a new mother shares what it's like to pump milk at work while risking exposure to coronavirus

• Jessica Gombash works at multiple ER departments across northwest Ohio, and now, as a new mother, she has to pump her breast milk at work amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• Gombash is using a Willow Breast Pump, which is hands-free and inserts directly into her bra — this way, she can still speak with patients and work on follow up care while taking time to pump.
• She said the hardest part of pumping is stepping away from her work, but she's also learning to take time for herself and her baby.
• She is also taking multiple other steps to make sure her son is safe during the pandemic, and always makes sure to shower before going home.

Imagine being a new mother and an emergency room nurse — fighting the equally strong desire to take care of your baby and take care of patients. For Jessica Gombash, it's a daily struggle.

Gombash works at multiple ER departments across northwest Ohio, ranging from a small ERs to a Level 1 Trauma center. She's also a first-time mother with an 11-month-old son at home.

As she's helping convalescing coronavirus patients, Gombash is also pumping breast milk. She's been using the Willow Breast Pump while working, which allows her to pump breast milk without using her hands. She can insert the pump right into her bra, so she can follow up with patient care and visit patient rooms while wearing it.

But stopping several times a day to pump can be difficult, she told Insider.

"The hardest part about pumping at work is walking away," she said. "I learned I have to take the time to do this for me and my baby. If there is a true emergency, I can always be reached and stop pumping if needed. I trust my coworkers to take care of things while I'm away."

An added level of stress is keeping her son safe from the coronavirus. She and her husband, who is also an ER physician, have been exposed to COVID-19 multiple times.

Doctors across the world have voiced concerns about contracting COVID-19 as the pandemic continues to spread across the globe. Many have changed their daily routines and avoided family members to help prevent the potential spread of the virus.

So far, 4.81 million people around the world have tested positive for COVID-19. At least 319,000 people have died from the virus — many of them healthcare workers.

Gombash and her husband know the risk of exposing others to the virus, and so they're taking precautions to protect Wesley during the pandemic.

They make sure to wear personal protective equipment when at hospitals, and sanitize before heading home to meet their mothers, who take turns watching Wesley while they're at work.

"We have both been exposed to COVID-19 many times," Gombash said. "In order to keep the virus out of our home, we are no longer wearing our own dress clothes or scrubs to work. Of course I'm wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment. I am taking time to shower at work before coming home and washing my hands as soon as I get home before picking up my son. I've also made the choice to continue to breastfeed hoping this will offer him more protection as well."

With breastfeeding, Gombash has been using self-sealing bags so she doesn't have to close them herself, especially when she's at work.

Gombash is also urging other mothers to take care of themselves.

"It's okay to be upset, anxious, or fearful during this pandemic," she said. "It is okay to be home all day with family and still feel lonely. You have to take time to 'fill your cup.' Take a walk, give yourself a manicure, soak in the tub — kid-free, no rubber ducks."

Read the original article on Insider