In this blog, Professor Sarah Jewell draws on findings from the Maternal Well-Being, Infant Feeding, and Return to Paid Work  study, which she led, to explore what kinds of workplace support help breastfeeding employees.

It is important to recognise, Infant feeding decisions are personal and what works for one employee may not work for another. What is needed to support a mother to reach her infant feeding goals (to be able to feed her child in the way she wants for as long as she and/or her child wishes to) will depend on a variety of factors.  For example, the age of the child, how long the mother and child are separated for, the nature of job and workplace provisions, child care and the mothers specific goals.

It is important to recognise, Infant feeding decisions are personal and what works for one employee may not work for another.

Some mothers may be able to feed their child directly during breaks if the child is nearby (e.g. if the child attends an onsite nursery or the childcare provision is close by, maybe the mother is able to work from home). Others may adjust feeds around working hours, whilst others may need to express breastmilk during work hours. Some mothers may express during work hours to provide milk for their child, others may need to do so for comfort purposes and/or to maintain their breastmilk supply. The first step is to talk to the employer about what they need!

What helped mothers in our study?

Facilities: For those who needed to express breastmilk and/or breastfeed their child in the workplace suitable facilities were key.  Being relaxed is important for expressing breastmilk and being in a comfortable place can really support this. Whilst it may not always be practical to have a specific breastfeeding room, it is good practice to make sure such facilities are private i.e. lockable, no ways to see in (such as windows), hygienic and convenient i.e. not too far away from the mother’s ordinary work location.

Some mothers who had private offices/workplace preferred to use these. Many mothers were anxious about storage facilities i.e. whether any fridges were safe (were cold enough) and felt uncomfortable storing their expressed milk with their colleagues lunch. Offering a fridge thermometer or a small separate fridge can make a huge difference for some.

Time: The biggest obstacle for breastfeeding employees was time and / or flexibility.  Breastfeeding / expressing breaks are not a legal requirement but employees who need to express during working hours, often need 30 minutes to do, 1-2 times during their working day. For those who may need to express just for comfort, the time needed may be less but flexibility was really important, as being uncomfortable for too long can increase the risk of health issues such as mastitis.

Flexibility can come in several forms – for some starting later or being able to go home a little earlier or even work from home, really made the difference. For others being given additional paid breaks, to use when needed, allowed the mother the time to express without compromising other needs such as hydration and eating.  Whilst  for some just knowing they could pop off if they needed to relieve discomfort really helped.

A phased return: Mothers often worried about how they (and their bodies) and their child will adjust to a change in feeding patterns when they return to work. A gradual phased return really supported mothers and their children with the transition back to work. However, many had to use their annual leave to facilitate this which meant they returned earlier, albeit on reduced days, than they may have done. Offering a phased return without the need for annual leave can support the transition back to the workplace for all!

A conversation: When asked what mothers felt would have supported them better, the most common response was a conversation initiated by their employer! Having open conversations about infant feeding that start before the mother goes on leave can help reduce pre-return anxiety and also avoid employers trying to make accommodations at the last minute. More generally mothers felt better supported when their employer was proactive and there was a transparent breastfeeding policy, where it was clear what workplace support might be available. (You can read my other blog post ‘A Little Bit of Communication Goes A Long Way‘ for more information on this).

Peer Support: For many hearing from others that had lived experience of breastfeeding and return to work, and how they managed it really helped. Whether this was from colleagues in their own organisation or hearing from mothers in breastfeeding support groups. Not all organisations will have a parent and carer network but employers can help by signposting mothers to sources of support, such as infant feeding charities, some that offer return to work and breastfeeding workshops.

You can read the study’s full report here.

Book a consultation with Nourish to kick-start your employee breastfeeding policy for your workplace.