HI AIMS!!! How's the little cutie-pie? I haven't seen you or her in a while, and I'm missing you both.

YEAH! WHere the hell have you been??? Jeebus.

Al Martinez' column last week was about meeting Jesus and whatsherfaces show. I thought of you.

Em is chewing on anything she can get her hands on including, but not limited to, her books, my books, dad's books (nothing funnier than baby with Shadowrun:Rigger or summat in her mouth), paper, cats, dog, and her thumb.

I just don't see any difference between allowing for pumping versus nursing. You have to leave the room for both. The noise issue is moot, because the pump is MUCH noisier than a nursing baby (unless said baby is crying, which nursing takes care of). Maybe they're worried about your mom passing you answers? If so, could they have a proctor pat her down? Check the baby's nappies for well hidden essay answers? I'd be tempting to sic the La Leche league on them, too.

If she thinks a nursing baby would be distracting, what about a full-scale nurse in (they do that)?

Stephanie, if you have the energy to make a fuss, I can certainly put you in touch with people who can help you raise one about nursing during the bar. "You can't bring the baby in the building" - What. The. Fuck. If you can pump in a bathroom, you can nurse a baby in a bathroom. Without disturbing anybody, and without cheating on the exam.

That said, if you think it's not worth the grief, I think the bottle should not be an issue. The thing to do is practice beforehand - practice your mother giving Peaberry a bottle, practice pumping, and practice being away from her all day long, or at least for half a day. You may even find it easier to NOT nurse her during the exam - I was very stressed out on the occasions when my sitter brought Eve to nurse during my lunch break while I was at work, and decided the closeness was not worth my angst.

I do know that if I was taking a major professional test that determined whether I'd be able to go on and practice said profession, and the profession did not involve babies, I would want to take it without the sound of crying babies.

Well, the idea was to nurse her in the bathroom.

Stephanie, I would ask what the difference is if you pump or have the baby there. When I took the bar exam many years ago, we had to have someone go with us if we had to leave the room (to go to the bathroom, for example) during the exam. I wonder if the answer is simply that they don't have someone to sit in the room with you, baby and your mom for the amount of time nursing would take, [eta: because then none of the other test takers would be able to leave the exam] but think they can put you somewhere alone with the breast pump without the babysitter to make sure you aren't cheating.

Well, the idea was to nurse her in the bathroom.

Ah. Then I have no idea what the BarNazi's problem is. I mean, I assume that everyone gets to go to the bathroom anyway, so it's not like it would be an extra perk for you.

Stephanie, if you have the energy to make a fuss, I can certainly put you in touch with people who can help you raise one about nursing during the bar.

Actually, I would appreciate that. A lot. I just got a response back from the BarNazi saying:

As stated in the previous e-mail:

- You can not leave the building during an exam session

- You can not bring the baby in the building/testing site or have anyone else bring the baby in the building/testing site.

- You can go outside (leave the building/testing site) and feed your baby only after your session is over/you are finished and you have turned in your exam. Again, you are required to leave the building/exam site once you have turned in your exam and you can not re-enter until the time you are instructed to return for the afternoon session of the exam.

You can not bring the baby in the building at any time.

- You can breast pump at anytime necessary, however you will need to leave the breast pump at the incomplete table. In regards to your accommodations request , you will not receive additional time.

The no extra time thing is what does it for me - what good is being allowed to pump if that sucks up my test time. (No matter what, I will practice to make this as hassle-free as possible.)

flea, you could e-me at my profile addy whatever info you might have and I would be very greatful!

Having taken the bar exam in the state in question, I'd guess that the bar is concerned with cheating possibilities. You may joke about writing answers on the baby's diaper, but I'll bet people have tried crazier things.

The bar is also very, very time-conscious about exams. A year or two before I took the exam, someone had a seizure during the exam. Applicants were not given extra time to make up for the disruption.

I'm not an expert on breastfeeding -- or taking the bar exam, since I last did it 17 years ago. So there may be accommodations. (Somewhere in my memory is the story of an applicant taking the exam in a separate room, but even if it really did happen, I don't remember the reasoning behind it.) But ISTM that the bar's concerns are legit.

Stephanie, if you pump pump pump like a madwoman right before going into the test, you should be ok to not pump. Let down will be a relief, believe me, but maybe it would just be easier to not pump during the test? You could pump an extra bottle a day for the 3-4 days prior to the test (breast milk lasts longer than formula) and then your mom would have enough to feed her with until you're done. And then, just make her nurse forever when you get home.

Serial to address xpost:

You can not bring the baby in the building/testing site or have anyone else bring the baby in the building/testing site.

You can not bring the baby in the building at any time.

This seems inconsistent. Unless they've changed things since my day, the test is given in an enormous room. Like a basketball court. That room isn't the only one in the building. So is it the building or the testing site?