Breastfeeding rights at work - please clarify for me please! I start in 3 days!

Baby absolutely does not need weening off milk at this age. Breastmilk is still hugely important and nutritionally valuable.
the baby under one won’t be eating full meals that substantially replace what they get from breastmilk.

True. But this is a 6 hours shift. If mum and baby can't handle this maybe SAHM is the better choice.
A lot of children are bf +1 year with being ferried into workplaces.

Your employers sounds like it is very accommodating! Get over your entitlement.

I don't understand why a 10/11 month old needs a 5 minute feed within a 6 hour shift, that isn't the break already given to you.

I think you're chancing your arm to try get more time off.

Well yes, it is too much to ask for. There is not a provision in law for this, so you would not be entitled to do so. Why you feel this means you need to rethink the world of work is a mystery, and given the very close proximity of your new workplace to your home, you are running the risk of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Enjoy the fact that the fact your new employer is willing to be flexible around your break means you can see your baby during your working day. Majority of women are not this lucky.

True. But 6 hours shift shouldn't be an issue for a baby on solid food.

You are also required to have a breastfeeding risk assessment
Have they done one?
You will need to be given enough time to feed and empty your breasts to prevent mastitis which is a serious infection.
I would also argue that expecting you to feed in your normal breaktime puts you at risk of dehydration/UTIs if it means you dont have time to also use the toilet etc as you normally could. Due to our physiology women are at higher risk of UTIs than men anyway without having limited access to toilets.
Your employer has a legal obligation under health and safety act 1974 to not jeopardize your wellbeing and by not giving you a full break as others get your wellbeing could be impacted.
If you're not in a union- join one now and then contact their adviceline.

• Indirect discrimination: A policy that disadvantages breastfeeding employees (e.g., no extra breaks) could be indirect discrimination unless the employer can objectively justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
• Health and Safety: Your employer also has general health and safety duties to assess risks and ensure you are not exposed to harm.

Is your baby even allowed on the premises ?

In the Irish civil service you get paid breastfeeding breaks up to 1 hour per day, or you can just reduce your work day by one hour without a reduction in pay. I pumped during my lunch break and then left work an hour earlier to minimise time spent away from my breastfed baby. It made a massive difference to me and really helped me to continue breastfeeding. I don’t think this is widespread across the private sector thought, the civil service is miles ahead in terms of family friendly policies.

Don’t be silly, there are no ‘shoulds’ with a breastfeeding baby!

This is 100% not true. It's normal for babies to continue breastfeeding along side solids for much longer than 10 months. WHO recommended at least 2 years (and however long mum wants to continue for) !!

OP- Maternity Action have some advice on breastfeeding and returning to work Here

Like others have said, hopefully baby (and your body) quickly adapts to feeding before/after your shifts. I think I only needed to express for a week or so, and I only expressed for comfort. It's in your employers interest to give you a break to feed/express really, as it can be so easy to develop mastitis if you're not used to not feeding for long stretches!

At this age your child should be able to drink out of a cup. I used to pump in my break just to keep the supply up but never actually brought a baby to work!

🤣 Rubbish. Babies under 1 should be on a predominant milk diet and be essentially 'tasting' food and water. No 10 month old baby is getting the calories they need from 'solids' and water through the day. Babies absolutely shouldn't be weaned off milk before 1.

They sounded pretty reasonable tbf allowing baby in so you can breastfeed and saying they could accommodate your break around that time so you can feed. You’re not entitled to an extra break for it paid or unpaid. Can you change feeding routine to work around your job, baby have earlier feed or later feed?

That's hilarious!

I think realistically though it wouldn't be 5 minutes you were away from work for. By the time you've walked to the car park / said hello to baby / fed / said goodbye etc and walked back again then it would likely be a lot longer than 5 mins.

To be honest, I'd be more worried about your child finding this upsetting. I know for sure / experience (had to do occasional visit to the child minder middle of the day when I'd forgotten something etc) that if I was to see my child for literally a few minutes and then have to say goodbye again this would be very upsetting / distressing and unsettling.

I honestly think they need to be fine without BF if you're going back to work. Expressed milk in a sippy cup or none at all whilst you're out.

Then if needed pump and dump on your break.

I wouldn't be expecting my employer to give me paid breaks for this. Like others have said - it may only be 10/15 mins for you once in a 6 hour shift, but if they have a policy then it has to be the same for all. Others may say they need to BF 3x in that 6 hours etc and they couldn't then refuse that if they've allowed others. It all builds up.

Just from a childcare point of view, I think your baby may find it quite distressing to be brought to you for 5/10 minutes for a quick feed then whipped away again.

There's some info here about your rights: https://www.nct.org.uk/information/life-parent/support-change/breastfeeding-and-returning-work

You’re only there for 6 hours. What’s the problem with using a bit of yr break? That Sounds reasonable to me

OP - speak to your employer. If you don’t ask for an extra break - which you will
make up for at the end of the shift - then they cannot say yes or no.

might be easier to phone them and have a conversation rather than over email.

then confirm the agreement via email so it is documented.

likely will only be required for a few weeks or months anyway.

You are very lucky to live so nearby! Will make the transition so much easier.

good luck.

It’s not going to be 5 minutes. It will be minimum 30 minutes each time you want to feed by the time you’ve finished what you’re doing, left, said hello, fed, said goodbye, gone back to work, etc. It’s a bit entitled to expect an employer to enable this for you. Especially when you’re on a bank contract… just do what everyone else does and pump, or just feed before and after work. As others have said, you’re entitled to have a space and time to express if you want to, but not to be paid for the time required.

Your employer has to provide a private space for you to express or breastfeed.

They also have to provide adequate storage facilities for the breast milk expressed.

They do not have to provide paid breaks to facilitate it.

If your baby is being brought to you, they should conduct a risk assessment.

But they're not saying that you can't feed your baby for 5/10 mins, they're saying you absolutely can, and they're being flexible with your break timings in order to accommodate it.

Sorry I think YABU OP.

Firstly they are not entitled to give you extra time to breastfeed.

Secondly personally I already think they are being pretty flexible allowing your baby to be bought to you, in the workplace "around 10/11" to breast feed. Most workplaces allow you a private place to pump but is it a legal right to have the baby bought into you?
Genuinely I dont know the answer to that one...

Your post comes across as very entitled OP. The majority of us didn't want to return to work and I dont see how they have been unreasonable at all.

Its a workplace. There are rules and times when they expect people to be working.

🤣🥱😹