Breastfeeding and Work

You don’t need to stop breastfeeding just because you’re returning to work. Many working women find ways to continue breastfeeding their baby. And employers have certain obligations towards breastfeeding women.

How can I continue breastfeeding while working?

You have several options.
You can:

• arrange for childcare close to work, so that you can breastfeed during breaks
  or before and after work;


• express milk (taking milk from the breast by hand or using a pump) so that someone else can feed your baby while you are at work; or


• ask your employer for flexible working hours, arranged around breastfeeding.

If you want to breastfeed while working, you must tell your employer in writing in advance. They will then be able to make preparations.

How can I express milk at work?

You can express milk by hand or by using a pump. Friends who have expressed milk before, midwives and health visitors can advise on what kind of pump might be best.
It is a good idea to buy a pump a few weeks before returning to work, and practise
using it or expressing by hand. This will allow your breasts to get used to ‘letting down’ when expressing, and you can see how long it takes to express milk. You can build up a store of expressed milk to have in reserve, which will take the pressure off you for your first few days back at work. Make sure all equipment is sterilised before you start.

How should I store breastmilk?

Milk should be stored in a fridge and carried home in a cool bag. Ask your employer
to provide a fridge if you don’t already have access to one. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days at 4C or lower (usually at the back of the fridge). Breastmilk can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the ice compartment of a fridge or for up to 6 months in a freezer.

Useful tips

• Label and date expressed breastmilk before putting it in the fridge or freezer.


• Have a trial run with childcare before returning to work.


• Be prepared by keeping an extra top and some breastpads at work.


• Defrost frozen breastmilk in the fridge and don’t refreeze it once thawed.


• If you are using milk within 5 days of expressing it, it is better to store it in the fridge than in the freezer.

Information for employers

Why should employers support breastfeeding?

As well as there being certain legal obligations to breastfeeding mothers, supporting breastfeeding has business benefits.
These include:

• reduced absence due to child sickness (breastfed babies are generally healthier);


• increased staff morale and loyalty, and a subsequent higher rate of return to work;


• lower recruitment and training costs; and


• an extra incentive to offer potential employees.

How can employers help?

Employers can have a policy to support breastfeeding that includes:

• a break allowance so that mothers can express milk;


• provision of a clean, warm and private room (not the toilet) for expressing;


• a fridge to store expressed milk; and


• flexible working hours for breastfeeding mothers. Make sure your employees are aware of your policy before they start their maternity leave.

What does the law say?

It is for the mother to decide how long she wishes to breastfeed, and returning to
work does not mean that she has to stop. On returning to work she should provide her
employer with written notification that she is breastfeeding. Her employer must then conduct a specific risk assessment. The Workplace Regulations and Approved Code of
Practice require employers to provide suitable facilities for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to rest. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that it is good practice for employers to provide a private, healthy and safe environment for breastfeeding mothers to express and store milk. It is not suitable to use toilets for this purpose.