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Workplaces going to be urged for private Breastfeeding areas

275 replies

HermyaAndThePomBears · 28/11/2010 08:28

Here!

The government are going to give mothers the right to Brestfeed at work.

I don't know about anybody else, but I think this is great news.

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nancy75 · 28/11/2010 08:31

where will the baby be when its not being fed? I don't really get it - I have never had a job where i could take my baby to work?

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SoupDragon · 28/11/2010 08:33

yes, rather bizarre given the baby won't be there.

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lal123 · 28/11/2010 08:34

we've had a breastfeeding room in work for years (never visited it - suspect its a redundant cupboard) Think the idea is that it can be used for expressing rather than feeding baby

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SoupDragon · 28/11/2010 08:34

Milk, yes, and I see it mentions that too but breastfeeding...?

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SoupDragon · 28/11/2010 08:35

oh, FFS. Expressing, not milk.

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onimolap · 28/11/2010 08:37

It'll make it a bit easier for those who are still bf when they return to work - but I suspect that is a group if people who would find a way to carry on regardless.

If the Govt really wants to increase bf rates, might it not be better to focus attention on appropriate early support?

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SoupDragon · 28/11/2010 08:40

if a company has to provide a breastfeeding room, isn't this going to make women a less attractive employment prospect than they are already? "time off for antenatal stuff, time off for pregnancy illnesses, maternity leave, sick children and now a special room...?"

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nymphadora · 28/11/2010 08:44

I have never worked somewhere with any sort of room I could use to express. I gave up expressing with dd1 as the only place was the toilet & we didn't get breaks anyway.

It's my biggest concern about going back this time and I'm trying to change to a job near home to go hone at lunch to feed her

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AlpinePony · 28/11/2010 09:23

I think most places have a "health & safety* room which you are already allowed to use to express. I did however recently visit an office which had a "Lactation Station".

I did see something in the article about being able to take the baby to work.

I fear whilst a lovely idea - it's going to damage the work prospects of any woman aged 20-30. :(

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HermyaAndThePomBears · 28/11/2010 09:28

Isn't it sad though that this will impact the work prospects of women.

It just says something as a whole about much value we place upon the family and how supportive we are of those in that state.

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Ryoko · 28/11/2010 10:09

Who the hell takes there kids to work?, more Tory bollocks to make people work until they drop, no time off for you serf.

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nymphadora · 28/11/2010 11:54

We don't have a H&S room. If they had spare rooms everyone may have a chair!

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Ryoko · 28/11/2010 12:14

If you are allowed extra time off to express, I demand the same time off to have a few beers.

It's unfair and will create resentment.

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mamatomany · 28/11/2010 12:20

Ryoko - that's called Friday afternoon in most offices.

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chibi · 28/11/2010 12:22

Do you really see expressing milk for a baby as the equivalent of drinking beer at work, really?

How endearingly bonkers, you are probably in great demand at dinner parties

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Ryoko · 28/11/2010 12:34

It's extra time off past allotted break times and at my work the nearest thing you can get too within the 15 mins breaks we get is a pub, we call it going on a spirit walk.

anyone who thinks management don't know what we are talking about is a fool, but I digress the fact remains it's extra time off the other workers will not get that will result in resentment.

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chibi · 28/11/2010 12:38

You can have the extra time too as long as you express milk during it

Society makes all kinds of concessions for people who need them, do you think a more appropriate response is 'work or bf but you can't do both'

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ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 28/11/2010 12:41

I'm totally confused by all this furore - I thought this was already law - or is that just Scotland?

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violethill · 28/11/2010 15:20

I also thought there was already legislation in place for employers to have to provide adequate time and facilities for expressing milk for nursing mothers.

Breastfeeding is an entirely different issue - why on earth would anyone think it was appropriate to take their children to work?!!

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blueshoes · 28/11/2010 15:36

Quoting from article: "Lansley wants to help narrow the gap in breastfeeding rates between women in routine and manual jobs ? where 66% of new mothers breastfeed ? and those in professional occupations, 88% of whom breastfeed. "

I am far more amazed by the statistics. That many working women bf? Are they still bf-ing around the time they go back to work?

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ISNT · 28/11/2010 15:50

The stats say new mothers and certainly the rates for BF newborns are very high.

He is talking bollocks though, the reason that women in professional occupations BF isn't because they're taking their babies to work with them Confused

It may be that women in lower paid occupations take less mat leave though (no idea on that would be interested to see stats).

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GrimmaTheNome · 28/11/2010 15:50

I guess the actual BFing is pretty much only going to be applicable in workplaces which have their own nursery, one imagines they might already provide a room.

I think I've heard of mothers in other countries having their baby's carer bringing the babe in for its lunch - nice if you can arrange it!

At least getting the expressing room/fridge/time requirements firmed u[ is a good thing.

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FortunateHamster · 28/11/2010 15:51

I thought companies already had to provide breastfeeding women with breaks to express and you could ask for a room to do so in as well.

I'm going back to work in March and am just debating whether to express or not. I want to as allergies run in the family and I'd like to avoid formula if possible but the only room I can see being available is the disabled toilet. It's clean, not too small and is rarely used, but it's still a toilet - do I really want to prepare my baby's meals in there? But the alternative is that I don't do it at all, because I can't see how else my company could magic another room out of nowhere. There are meeting rooms but they have glass windows/panels in the door.

I think it's a good idea to promote being able to express at work. I just don't know how practical it is for there to be rooms specifically for doing so :(

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mamatomany · 28/11/2010 17:05

They cannot expect you to express in the toilet, i have been offered the MD's office before now, if they are supportive they'll find you somewhere suitable and if not you'll have to go to your car which might add half an hour to the exercise.

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MerrilyDefective · 28/11/2010 17:15

All a bit odd.
Do you have the baby at work with you?
In a creche?
Does someone bring the baby to the Mother to be fed?
Is this just for expressing?
If not then it doesn't really seem workable.

I don't see how this can be legislated for,loads of jobs can't accommodate this.

Tory bollocks.Trying to look like they're not the nasty party.

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