Wow — I had no idea these things existed until readers mentioned them in our last discussion on the best clothes for pumping at work.
The basic idea is that they obviate the need for a horn, and allow you to collect milk in the cups themselves. Fascinating.
Ladies who’ve used them, how have you found the sizing and comfort?
Amazon has a few options (the pictured one is $59.95); here’s the company’s website. Freemie Hands-Free and Concealable Milk Collection Cups
This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Sales of Note…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – 2,100+ new markdowns!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything; extra 30% off orders $100+
- Eloquii – $39 select styles; 50% off select styles
- J.Crew – 25-50% off wear-now styles; extra 50% off select sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything; 50% off women’s dresses; extra 60% off clearance
- Loft – 60% off sale styles
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale: Extra 50% off markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ sale items (for women)! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
- J.Crew – 25-40% off kids’ styles; extra 50% off select sale
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all kids’ & baby clothing; PJs on sale from $25; up to 75% off clearance
- Carter’s – Rule the School Sale: Up to 50% off; up to 40% off baby essentials
- Old Navy – 50% off back-to-school styles; 30% off your order, even clearance
- Target – Backpacks from $7.99; toddler & kids’ uniforms on sale from $5
- Pottery Barn Baby – Summer sale: up to 50% off
- Nordstrom – Limited time sales on brands like Maxi-Cosi and Bugaboo.
- Strolleria – Free infant seat car adapter with any Thule stroller; 30% off all Peg-Perego gear in our exclusive Incanto Collection
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
Click here to see our top posts!
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
anon eagle says
I loved my Freemies. LOVED. I had the Freemie cups with the Medela attachment and I had to be very careful not to backflow the milk into the pump. If you regularly pump more than 9oz on a side, then the Freemie is not for you. (Stop, pour out milk into collection receptacle, put milky cup back in your undergarment…)
Pros: Kept my dress/shirt on, very comfortable, hands free, easy to clean
Cons: can back flow into the pump, $50 a set, can’t see how much milk is coming out, still have to bring milk bottles, that heart stopping moment when you have to transfer the milk from the Freemie cups into the milk storage bottles, bottles, semi-embarrassing to have 2 big cups sitting out on the drying rack when my dad stopped by…
Very important to peek inside your shirt and do a check 1 min into the pumping session to make sure your anatomy is lined up with the hole in the cup. Otherwise your n.pple might be folded in half and you just wasted 20 mins.
Meg Murry says
I had the original freemies (or maybe version 1.5 – the ones before these) and I really liked them too, although there were some quirks that made them less than ideal, that may or may not still exist in the current versions. I used them with a Medela PIS (not PISA)
-suction wasn’t quite as high as using pump with horns, so I had to turn my pump as high as it could go, and it was still not great – acceptable, but not ideal.
-in order to get the milk out, you had to remove the tubing, then take out the cups, then pour out the milk. Then before using again you had to open them up to re-insert the tubing. Opening them was a major pain, and sometimes I had to use a fork or other tool to get some leverage.
-I never could install without lifting up my shirt. It was nice to only have to lift for a minute when putting on or taking off, but what they show in the videos of people installing without looking – never worked for me, I wouldn’t get it lined up properly.
-despite what the pictures showed, there was obviously something in my shirt. However, it was still far better than having to take off my shirt entirely to use pump and horns.
-since you still have to carry bottles to take milk home (or collection bags), the cups take up more room than just horns and attachments.
-Sometimes the original valves didn’t install well, and you had to take the whole thing apart to re-install. I think they’ve changed the design since then, though.
Pros:
-Other that the minute it took to put on or take off, I could still wear my shirt and be covered – so when I got walked in on pumping, it was far less embarrassing.
-No dangling horns or bottles in the way – made it way easier to type or read a book.
-No need to use a special hands-free bra. I still wore my nursing bras, because that made it easier to install and they were stretchy.
-I could use them while in the car without having to do my previous dance of hands-free bra + backwards fleece or flannel shirt over them.
Because I already had 2 full sets of bottles and 3 sets of horns and attachments from being a semi-exclusive pumper with my first son, I only got one set of freemie cups, and I used those every morning during my car commute (setup in driveway, pumped while driving, just turned off when done and then took apart when I got to work). Sometimes I would re-use again once in the morning, but since the suction wasn’t as strong and I had to go to a separate lactation room it was more efficient for me to use the horns and bottles for 20 minutes instead of the freemies for 30 – but if I’d had my own office I would have used the freemies there, no doubt about it.
I also had some issues with the valves, and then accidentally lost my spares (they were clear and I think they went down the garbage disposal) and the company sent me free replacements overnight at no charge with just a phone call. I’ve heard similar stories of great customer service, so I would recommend ordering directly from them (instead of Amazon) for that reason.
Watermelon says
Pumping with Freemies is still pumping, but way better than the traditional horns setup. Being half naked and looking like a cow with the horns made me sad, so the Freemies helped me a great deal. It was also more convenient to type and read hard copies of documents.
I used the same set for each pumping session during a day and just stuck them in the fridge in a gallon zip-top bag in between. Sometimes I’d get milk in the tube that connected the cups to the pump (I still used Medela PISA), but it was pretty easy to clean with small alcohol wipes.
Sizing–the 25mm Freemies are about equal to the 21mm Medela horns.
MSJ says
Thanks for sharing your experience! I hope you don’t mind a few follow on questions – so after a pumping session you would have to take out the freemies and empty them into a separate storage bag or bottle, correct? Is the advantage of the system just the time saved on the set up (putting on the hands free bustier and assembling the medela flanges)? I would imagine it’s still difficult to pump very discretely due to the noise of the pump motor itself. Does it work with most tops/nursing bras?
I’m hoping to stop pumping in 3-4 months so not really looking to buy a new system but would invest $50 if it made the whole process easier
Thanks!
anon eagle says
Hello,
Yes I would take out my Freemie cups and empty the milk into my Medela bottles. I’d put the cups back in a big ziplock and put the ziplock into the fridge until my next pumping sesh.
I don’t think there is a time saved advantage. I think it may take slightly longer to transfer the milk into bottles.
It worked with all my larger-cup stretchy bras. Those bras are all stretched out and trashed now. Make sure your bra holds the cups tight to your chest to create a good seal. I wore stretchy V-neck dresses. I put the cups in through the V-neck opening and snaked the tubing up (very important to prevent backflow) out of my dress and plugged the ends of the tubes into the pump. The motor is still the same noise level as the Medela w/horns.
Since you are already a pumping pro, I would go for it. I hated being half naked with horns attached. The Freemie helped me make it all the way to 7 months with my 2nd baby. If I did not have the Freemie I probably would have quit when I returned to work at 10 weeks.
Meg Murry says
Yes – for me it didn’t save any time compared to regular pumping – however, I think if you are already pumping at your desk in your office it might make that time a little more productive since its much easier to type and/or use a computer (mouse, etc) without the bottles hanging down in the way. I’d say it takes about as much time to put the tubes in and put them in your bra as it does to put on the bustier and put all the pieces together for a pump.
But like others said, it made me feel less cow-like, and less worried that if someone walked in on me I’d be topless. I also used them a few times with the battery pack on my pump to walk around the house while pumping (although you still can’t bend over without spilling) which was nice to not feel tied to a chair for those 20-30 minutes.
Anonymous says
Look at pictures of people with freebies if you’re not certain.
If your pump supports it you can walk around much more subtly with freebies than with the regular pump horn things. Freebies work with a regular bra.
The advantage is you can pump At a cubicle or walking around your office without embarrassing yourself or anyone. The noise is still there. You may still need to strip down to start or end the process.
In the end I decided against it because I need to see what is going on to make sure stuff is happening if that makes sense. Also my pump was not approved for freemies.
Also you can easily resell this product so I wouldn’t worry about cost.
KRS2 says
I just found out I’m pregnant and wanted to ask about some resources any of you may have found helpful. I’d like to download some kind of app to keep track of my pregnancy but there are so many choices! I’m also a bit of a privacy person so would prefer something with minimal tracking/broadcasting of my info. Is Glow Nurture any good?
Also, any information that you wish someone told you in the beginning? Advice on what to start doing now or to get ready to do soon? I’m just a few weeks and feel like my normal self thus far so it all still feels very unreal. Would love advice from those of you who’ve been there or are going through it now a little further along. TIA.
sfg says
Congratulations! The best thing I did after I found out I was pregnant was to read Expecting Better, by Emily Oster. Really helped me break down the risks and eased some of my fears. For apps, I liked the Mayo Clinic app (recommended here) for week by week info.
layered bob says
+1 to Expecting Better. Best pregnancy book out there for women who don’t want to be talked down to.
Re: apps. IMO, they all suck. The Mayo Clinic one is pretty good, but otherwise they are all condescending and pastel. I have on my phone Mayo Clinic, Glow Nurture, and OviaPregnancy but only really use Ovia (for recording bits of information that don’t fit on my regular calendar or exercise-tracking apps, etc.).
EB0220 says
I also loved Expecting Better. As a fellow economist, it made perfect sense to me. I’m waiting for her sequel on parenting.
Watermelon says
+1 on Expecting Better. I’d love a parenting version and an uncut version of this one–there are parts where it reads as if an editor took out relevant details about studies.
EB0220 says
I looked up a few of the studies she cited because I wanted to slice the data slightly differently. Very interesting, although you might have to pay for the articles.
TBK says
yes! I wish she’d done another book on babies/toddlers!
Katala says
Congrats! Also recommend Expecting Better. It really helped me calm down and do my own evaluations of the standard recs.
I have several apps on my phone. I use the babycenter one, it’s OK, and Pregnancy+ which I like for weekly updates but it’s British (I think?) so it’s sometimes a little off (e.g., midwives vs. OBs and certain terms are different, not a big deal at all). I sometimes look at Ovia. Also have Glow Nurture but I never open it.
KJ says
I didn’t use an app for pregnancy info, but I liked the weekly emails from The Bump. I used the P Tracker app later for kick counts and it was fine. My sister got me a paper pregnancy journal, which I really liked. It had pages to track how I was feeling, what I was doing each week, etc, but also lots of useful checklists and information for planning. Here is the one I used: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Expectations-Pregnancy-Journal-Planner/dp/1402777051/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&qid=1427812959&sr=8-38&keywords=pregnancy+journal
Congratulations! Everything about pregnancy was surreal for me. It wasn’t fun, but it was incredible to see my baby and think, “I built that.”
NewMomAnon says
Keep some bland starchy food next to your bed – during the first trimester, I would often wake up really nauseous and the only thing that helped was eating soda crackers. I often set my alarm for 20 minutes early, woke up just enough to power down some soda crackers and water, and then slept for another 20 minutes until I felt better.
Also, see if you can find a good maternity yoga class you like, start going now, and don’t stop until baby comes. I was still able to paint my toenails the day I went into labor, and I’m pretty sure yoga had something to do with it. I stopped going to class during my second trimester and it was really hard to get back into it third trimester (but so worth it).
And the one that everyone told me – the minute you find out you are pregnant, get on the waitlist at daycares. Like, right now. Good luck!
SFBayA says
I actually wasn’t a fan of saltines or any square crackers with corners, because if I ended up throwing those back up, the corners could be sharp. Round crackers, like the little crackers that you put in chowder, are perfect. And those come in tiny single-serve baggies so you never have to deal with stale crackers.
+1 to Expecting Better. I got so angry a few chapters into What to Expect that I actually threw the book across the room (“before you take a bite of any food, think to yourself, ‘is this the best choice for my baby?’ ” and other condescending crap).
I wish I had been capable of working out throughout my pregnancy, but my first trimester was basically spent sleeping 14+ hours a day. I’m trying very hard not to feel guilty about how little I have exercised, and have been only marginally successful in doing so.
If you can mentally wrap your head around it, start looking at daycares now. I personally couldn’t face that until I knew that the fetus was viable and without major genetic defects because the idea of having selected a daycare and then miscarrying was just too much for me to think about.
If you want to do an NIPT test, I think that starts being available at around 10 weeks? They ran one on me at 18 weeks after becoming concerned about a few things they were seeing on the u/s and it was utterly and totally awful having to think about what would we do if the results were positive (which they weren’t, thank goodness).
(former) preg 3L says
Read Alphamom’s pregnancy calendar for the laughs (and helpful advice)!
Frozen Peach says
Congratulations!!!!
+1 to both Expecting Better and Alphamom. I also really liked the Our Bodies, Ourselves guide to pregnancy and birth.
The only other advice I have at this stage is FIBER.
Later on, Lucie’s List will become helpful as well, for picking out baby gear and figuring out what to expect postpartum.
anon says
Second Alphamom and Lucie’s List (although for registry items she focuses on more expensive items in general). I also loved Fit & Healthy Pregnancy by Kristina Pinto — it’s geared toward athletes, but really helpful for anyone trying to stay fit during & after pregnancy. It also has great, matter of fact general pregnancy information.
Anon says
If you want to do prenatal testing for Down syndrome etc be sure to make this clear to your doctor at the first appt. I thought my doctor would inform me about this but he did not. I have since switched to another doctor that provides much better communication.
Anonymity says
If you want it, make sure all the correct genetic testing is ordered with your first appointment. That’ll be to test for anything you could be a carrier for, eg cystic fibrosis, Tay Sachs and many more. With my first, I didn’t get the Jewish panel right away because I answered the question of ethnicity as Caucasian. The father may not get tested unless you are a carrier for something. If you’re over 35, most insurance will cover cell free DNA testing for the fetus too (it detects fetal DNA in your blood stream, so noninvasive to your fetus). The cell free DNA test looks for different things than the regular blood test.
Ash says
Any advice for pushing docs on this when you’re low risk (i.e. I’m 30 and first pregnancy)? Hubs and I are determined to get it done.
SFBayA says
It probably varies significantly by state. CA tests all babies for Downs with the blood test + nuchal fluid test (though of course I assume you can opt out). My ob-gyn gave me the paperwork (from the state, not just from the hospital) for the test at my very first appointment amidst all the other hospital paperwork and pamphlets, and it was that state paperwork I had to take to the lab at 10 weeks for the Downs blood test.
You could also just pay for the NIPT test yourself. It’s still under patent, so there are two companies that offer it, and it’s $700-$1k, I think. I used Counsyl and I’m not sure of the other company’s name. I know several couples that paid for the NIPT test themselves at around 10 weeks because they were worried about genetic defects and/or had a strong gender preference.
MSJ says
I think there is an element of state law to it. I recall my hospital in NY would only administer it if you were of advanced maternal age or had another risk factor. This was a completely separate issue from insurance (and at least one of the providers has an out of pocket cap and will adjust the cost down to around $200 if you call them). They made it sound like it would be impossible to get done in the state without a risk factor, but since I qualified I didn’t independently research the veracity of this claim.
lucy stone says
I just talked to my OB about this because I’m 31 and low-risk. I told her I had anxiety disorder and my husband and I want as much information as possible and she was fine with it.
(former) preg 3L says
So I had my (first) performance review this morning. My firm wants me billing more hours (admittedly, Jan and Feb were low). Being a single mom, even with all of the help that I have at home, takes all of my time on weekends and I don’t really know how to get more work done. The partner’s advice in my performance review was “just do some work in the evenings and on weekends.” Any advice?
RR says
How are you doing during the workday? I find the best thing for me is to try to be super productive during the workday and eliminate distractions (the normal chatty coworkers, lunch out, etc. that are part of the workday for people who have more time to stay late and work during non-workday hours). The more you can streamline that, the better. It will also just get easier as your baby gets a little older and you get a little more seasoned in the job.
I’d also note that we tell all associates not hitting 1900 that they need to bill more, but there are generally not consequences unless they are WAY off. So, it’s possible you have a lot of leeway here. For example, at my firm, if you were billing 1800 a year, you’d get the message to bill more. But, you’d also be doing very well and there would never, ever be any consequences for not hitting 1900.
nancy says
Agree with the above — big question is whether you are way under, or just a little under. Also, are you the only person like this, or are other associates hitting what you’re hitting, more or less?
That said, assuming you really can’t be more efficient during the day, I would try to consistently put in an extra hour in the evenings after your kid has gone to bed. This will get you 5-7 extra hours per week, or 20-30 extra hours per month. Alternatively, you can try to do this in the mornings, but I bet it won’t work. I would try to save discrete things for at-home — maybe not research projects, but doc review / diligence, or hand markups of changes that perhaps you can ask your secretary to input the next day. As a bonus, if you finish something up later at night, you can also email it to the partner later at night or first thing in the morning to highlight the extra effort. (I have been known to set emails to a certain partner to be auto-sent at 3 am when he gives me particularly crappy last-minute work on the off chance that he has a conscience and will feel a pang of guilt.)
KJ says
I have never billed an hour in my life, so I’m not an expert, but it seems like you will either have to work more or work more efficiently (cutting out non-billable hours) or both. How many hours are we talking here? Can you squeeze in an hour each night after baby is in bed? Or wake up before her and get some work in? Have someone watch her for a few hours every Saturday? Can you cut down on extraneous stuff in the office like chit-chat, online browsing, unnecessary meetings, etc? Can you work during your commute, answering emails or reading documents?
Noelle says
I’m not a single mom, so I’m not sure how helpful this suggestion will be, but I end up working on Friday evenings or Saturday evenings. Kiddo is asleep by 7 p.m. and I don’t usually go to bed until 10 or so, so that’s a good chunk of time to get some work done. I don’t do this every weekend (because that would be depressing), but when I’m feeling especially behind at work, this is when I try to make up for lost time. Bonus is that although I’m usually tired by 7 on a Saturday after a day of running errands, doing laundry, cooking, etc., I’m not tired in the same way that I’m tired after a long day in the office. So it’s easier to convince myself to boot up my computer.
And like others have said, I try to maximize my efficiency in the office (e.g., limited chit-chatting with colleagues, a rare lunch out, save “easy” and non-urgent emails to read/respond to for the commute, not being afraid to cut out of a meeting early when it’s clearly become unproductive, etc.).
(former) preg 3L says
Thanks ladies, these are all helpful. Also the advice that adding a couple of hours here or there can really add up — is a great reminder!
NewMomAnon says
This is a “do as I say, not as I do” tip because I’m awful at entering my time – be really mindful of entering your time and when in doubt, round up. I read a study that showed that female associates tend to round their time down a little bit, while male associates tend to round their time up significantly, which shows up as a big gap in the billable hours for men and women.
Don’t do anything unethical, but make sure you’re tracking every minute you work; if you gain 0.5 hours a day from billing for those 5 minute phone calls and brainstorming sessions while you drive into work, you’ve gained 2.5 hours a week and that is substantial. I also found that when I stopped using timers, I started rounding up every time I switched between tasks instead of rounding up only once at the end of the day, but most people find that they get more hours by using timers.
Lorelai Gilmore says
This is a know your firm issue, but if you really, really can’t figure out a way to bill more, consider going part time. I am a huge believer that it is better to exceed expectations.
LawyerKate says
I dropped to 90% hours when I came back to work after my first was born, and 80% this year after number 2. Highly recommend this approach. Even knocking 10% off the requirement makes a huge difference in my quality of life. I simply cannot hit the 1850-1900 range while being a mom to small kids and also getting enough sleep. Hats off to those who pull it off, but I can’t. I am currently considering whether to push up to 100% next year when I’m up for partner because I don’t want to start off my partner years with the expectation that my comp should be less than everyone else forever. Tough call.
Maddie Ross says
Honestly, the thing that has always helped me get my hours (both pre baby and post) was time at night and on the weekend. It’s the little stuff, not drafting whole briefs at night. Save the last few emails of the day for post-baby bedtime and keep billing that .50 on a brief or substantive work. Do that a couple times a week or during one weekend naptime and you’re up 2.00 or 2.50 easily. That’s 100 hours a year and enough to make a difference. It sucks, I know. But when all you have to sell is your time, it can really help to find a little extra of that commodity anywhere you can.
EB0220 says
We’ve moved three times since my first baby was born (once locally), and now are settled for the long haul (I hope). I find myself with lots of mom friends in different places, but no one local. So I’m wondering: how have you met your mom friends? Are they new friends since you’ve had kids, or pre-child friends who happened to have children around the same time? Just curious!
MomAnon4This says
I used to be active in a Facebook group for Moms that was supposed to be about general support, but pretty much devolved into essential oil discussions. Apparently I threatened people because I suggested calling pediatricians and nurses and also did not mind antibiotics during cold season.
I took a 30-day break from that group at the beginning of the month, and I feel so much more confident, and confident about being confident, as a parent and otherwise. Amazing!
lucy stone says
I posted a few weeks ago about being fat and needing maternity clothes under the very original name “I’m fat and need maternity clothes.” I have the following information to report for any other fat pregnant people that don’t fit into 99% of the clothes depicted on this site who don’t like wearing muumuus:
1. Macy*s has a large maternity section in store and some of the XL tops were large on me to the point where I considered buying a L instead.
2. XL dresses at Macy*s fit me as long as they weren’t a sheath. I normally wear a 20 or 22 pant, so this was surprising to me.
3. JC Penney’s carries nothing in store, only online.
4. Target stuff is sized incredibly inconsistently and is practically see-through.
I’m placing large orders at a few stores this week and will be happy to report back. Thanks to everyone who was giving me advice!
rakma says
Thanks for reporting back. This is one of the things I love about this site.
I didn’t realize Macy*s carried maternity at all, much less stuff that would work for me.
lucy stone says
Yeah, I am normally a 1x on top and can fit into larger XLs (GAP tanks, I’m looking at you) and a lot of the XL maternity tops at Macy*s were roomy on me everywhere, even the arms. I’m a solid 20W or 22W in bottoms most places and fit into an 18 dress from Boden to help give you a size reference. I am happy to report back since without this site I was picturing spending the next five months in muumuus or gunnysacks.
Anonymous biglaw mom says
Reposting my weekend post because it was posted too late on the weekend:
I am writing to get the perspective of other mommy-lawyers here.
I am currently in my third year in Biglaw and a mom of an eight-month old. While I am on a “reduced” schedule, I still find myself working all the time. I do not think that it is working out well for me and would like to find a position that is more compatible with family life. I am not considering a move to a smaller firm because I feel that billable hours would put the same pressures on my (although to a lesser extent) at another firm.
Is it too early for me to move in-house and expect to have a meaningful career thereafter?
I work in the regulatory area and would like to continue to practice in the same area as an in-house attorney.
TBK says
It depends what you mean by “meaningful.” What do you want to be doing 10 years from now? I’ve never been in-house but I’m not sure how moving in-house now versus, say, two years from now would really change your career trajectory.
JJ says
Agree with TBK – what is your definition of “meaningful?” Do you have a goal in mind for 5 years from now? 10 years from now? If you go in-house after 2 or 4 years of practicing, and your ultimate goal is to be a rainmaking partner, then I would think you’re less likely to achieve that goal. If you practice for more than 6 years and then go in-house, I would think you would be more likely to eventually find another job at a law firm (after being in-house the appropriate amount of time).
Anonymous biglaw mom says
Thank you, yes more clear question would have been helpful on my part. By “meaningful” I meant a position that will have room for advancement. In 10 years, I would be satisfied to be in a leadership position at an internal legal department.
I guess my concern is that due to my relative lack of experience, transferring to an in-house position now will mean that the complexity of my work and my level of responsibility will decrease dramatically. I am just afraid at being stuck in a low-level position, while my would-be employer brings more experienced people from outside when it comes to promotions. What has your experience been?
JJ says
That makes more sense. I recently transferred from a law firm to in-house, in my 7th year of practice. I specialized in a specific field (similar to compliance, for example), and was offered a job by a former colleague in-house in my specialty. I wasn’t looking to move at the time (I was as happy as a mom-of-two-toddlers while billing 2000 hours a year could be). But I took the change because the job got rid of my commute and because I wanted a more predictable schedule. I haven’t regretted it so far and LOVE that this job aligns more with my family’s schedule.
Whether you get promoted as you gain experience in-house or whether outsiders are brought in will depend mainly on the employer (and mostly on the GC, frankly). I thought it was reassuring that the lawyers that have been in my company’s legal department for multiple years have received raises, promotions, better titles, and increased responsibilities. They seem to take development and advancing careers seriously.
I was managing litigation and running cases at my firm – cases with large stakes and daily client interaction. To some extent, working in-house does decrease the complexity of my work because I’m not juggling bet-the-company litigation. But I am becoming a subject-matter expert in my field for a specific industry. I know that if things do not work out here, I have marketable skills that I can take to many other employers.
mascot says
As an observation of colleagues in-house, opportunities for advancement are also dependent on the people above you and if they stay with the company. So a leadership position could open up in 3 years or you could be stuck waiting out someone’s retirement/leaving the company. I think you have a little less control of your destiny than being in private practice. I’ve also seen some colleagues take on JD preferred/non-attorney roles in compliance and contract review so that may also be a meaningful move for a regulatory attorney (albeit with potential difficulty going back to a true attorney role).
JJ says
Sigh. I just posted a really long comment that disappeared. If it doesn’t “appear” later today, I’ll post it again on tomorrow’s post.
Anonymous biglaw mom says
JJ and mascot, thank you for sharing your experience/observations. While I do like the complexity and responsibility that come earlier in private practice than in-house, the constant need to respond to client demands immediately as an outside counsel is I think what makes private practice more challenging for me. Clients do not know that I am on “reduced” schedule, so that’s that.
In any event, what both of your posts suggest, and it is something I need to keep in mind in my search, is that where I end up in 10 years will depend in large part to on the particular organization.
nancy says
Hope it’s not too late to respond.
Not sure how reduced you are, but if you find it hard to make a move right now, consider cutting back more at your firm. For example, I’ve been told that at my biglaw firm, you need to cut back to 60% (not just 80%) in order for people really to respect that you are “off” on some days, and for partners to give you less work. If you can make it one more year at 60% (or whatever) at your firm, you will be firmly in midlevel territory, and you aren’t required to reveal on your resume that you spent X months on maternity leave and X years on a reduced schedule.
Anonymous biglaw mom says
Thanks, nancy. I have colleagues who have taken that route, but they all have more than one child (like twins, for instance). So, it almost feels out of place for me to ask. Sigh! But, since I am not seeing myself staying at the firm for the long term, it may be something that can get me through the next year!
NewMomAnon says
Only a mom….I just spent 10 minutes at work sending messages back and forth with daycare about my kiddo’s poop to determine if I need to call the pediatrician before they close at 5 pm. Lovely.
(former) preg 3L says
Hahaha. Thanks for sharing.
Omie Dove says
These types of situations make me feel sad for women. I’m so glad I was married when I was nursing my infants. I wish women were valued more in our society. I was so happy when my friend was allowed to have her baby at work. She worked at a health food store, but I had never seen an employer allow that before. I really admire women who jump through all these hoops; I just wish there were some other way…