Author Topic: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC  (Read 2065 times)

Offline F8thful03

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Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« on: April 24, 2018, 09:43:05 AM »
Hello all!
I tried to search for this topic but didn't have any results.  Has anybody had any experience with pumping at SDCC?  I will be attending but my little one will be at home with the grandparents.  I read that there's breastfeeding/pumping rooms on site but how crowded do the get?  I assume there'd be some kind of wait since there are line everywhere you go.  Are they closed off sections or one big open room?  I'll need an electrical outlet to plug in my pump.  Also, I was going to try to do Hall H on Saturday.  My plan was to get one of those passes to go pump and then be back.  However, does the pass last 30 min - 1 hr?  Do they really time you?  I'd appreciate any feedback, thanks!

Offline retired

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2018, 09:58:00 AM »
The bathroom passes last the entire panel. so if its a 1 hour panel, you can get one right when it starts and come back before it ends no problem. (check the schedule for last year to see the duration of the hall H panels)

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #2 on: Today at 04:58:12 AM »

Offline marcia29

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2018, 05:21:34 AM »
Last year there was an area for nursing mothers closed off in the Disabled area "A".   I did see women that seemed to be utilizing it.  I don't know what it looked like inside, though.  From the CCI website Disabled Services section I found this statement that they have  "...an enclosed nursing area for mothers with infants".   
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Offline Emerald_Mom

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2018, 08:46:47 AM »
[member=352]marcia29[/member]
This is good to know as my daughter will have my granddaughter with us.... and some privacy for nursing will be nice for her.
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Offline perc2100

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2018, 11:18:46 AM »
When my wife and I brought our then-newborn (less than a year old) to Comic-Con in 2015 there was a nursing station for nursing mothers.  She LOVED it and was happy with the accommodations.

With the bathroom 'passes' CCI and its hired security have, in my experience, been EXCEPTIONALLY picky about time of return.  It has to be during the panel you leave for, and you must return before the panel ends are you're SOL from what I understand.  I know of one friend who went to get food somewhere not awful (i.e. outside convention center, and def. outside the Hall H food choices), came back in between the panel he left and the last panel, and they wouldn't let him in.  He ended up missing the Marvel panel (IRON MAN THREE FWIW) and he was pretty livid.  But the intent is good, I think. 
If you plan your time fairly carefully, i.e. "I'm not a fan of Stranger Things so I'm going to B-line it at the very start of the panel, pump during that panel, and return near the end" you'll be fine.  Planning rules!

Offline puppy

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2018, 03:42:00 PM »
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[member=352]marcia29[/member]
This is good to know as my daughter will have my granddaughter with us.... and some privacy for nursing will be nice for her.

I would highly recommend a nursing shirt and bra.  Then, she could nurse inconspicuously in public without missing out on anything.  I had a whole wardrobe back in the day and it worked out great. 

Offline geekyfamilyfriendly

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2018, 09:35:59 AM »
Talk to disabled services first. My wife talked to the security staff or comic con staff and they pointed to a dark room with water for security. This was a horrible experience because, the convention center has nursing stations listed on their site, which is cool, but weird because another person commenting pointed out a curtained off area. The security staff treated my wife like crap, when she told the comic constaff they replied to her within a week after the comicon.

Offline SamTurtledove

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2018, 03:01:43 PM »


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This was a horrible experience because, the convention center has nursing stations listed on their site, which is cool, but weird because another person commenting pointed out a curtained off area. The security staff treated my wife like crap, when she told the comic constaff they replied to her within a week after the comicon.



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Offline comicconfamily

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2018, 05:49:43 PM »
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Hello all!
I tried to search for this topic but didn't have any results.  Has anybody had any experience with pumping at SDCC?  I will be attending but my little one will be at home with the grandparents.  I read that there's breastfeeding/pumping rooms on site but how crowded do the get?

I'm no longer nursing, so I haven't used the rooms but can tell you that there is supposed to be a 2nd mother's lounge opening this summer 2018. The new one will be in Lobby A, and this is in addition to the one outside of Hall E (both are in/near the women's restroom area).

I found some photos of the room of the one that already exists here -- doesn't look like much, not sure how old this photo is: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login it also says there is "several outlets and chairs and tables. It was actually inside the bathroom with a separate door.  There was only a partial wall, so it wasn’t 100% private".
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Offline F8thful03

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Re: Breastfeeding/pumping at SDCC
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2019, 05:01:48 PM »
Just wanted to give an update on how last year went with the pumping for those who are in the same situation:

So I ended up getting a room at the Marriott Marquis and decided to go back and pump in the room intermittently.  I had one silicone hand pump on hand that I had to use while waiting in line for the Lego Minifigure pick up.  I did not scout the pumping areas so I can't really give reviews on them. 

In retrospect, I would recommend skipping the con if you're trying to pump every 3-4 hours.  It was way too busy to try to do the pumping sessions and my milk supply had a strong decline from the trip that I was never able to recover from.  Our in room fridge was not adequate to freeze breastmilk so I had to ask the hotel to store it in their freezers; you also need to sign a form for this.  If you're bringing your little one and can breastfeed on demand then that should be fine, but it may still be hectic depending on the schedules. Also, transporting breastmilk via flights were also a pain.  Know that frozen milk can go through the scanner, but if it's liquid they'll need to test each bag so make sure to allow time for this.

Hopefully, this is helpful to someone out there!