Breastfeeding and work - impacting health

[wherethewestwindblows]

I've recently gone back to work following maternity/accrued annual leave. I ordinarily still breastfeed my daughter several times a day and throughout the night. My job means I'm out of the house for ~14 hours a day, two days a week. I'm not, however, being given opportunity to express whilst at work except for on my break, which could be 10 hours into my shift or not at all. I confirmed I'd still be breastfeeding during my return to work meeting, and gave notice in writing.

Since about a week after starting back, I've begun to feel continously nauseous. Not severe enough to cause me to vomit but enough to make eating difficult and looking after a toddler all day challenging. I've had it suggested that it is hormonal, and the only change I can attribute it to coincidences perfectly with starting to go the longest (by far) periods without breastfeeding.

I'm not really sure whether once in 12-13 hours is reasonable of them (in terms of the law or good practice), and if it is deemed sufficient as a blanket rule, how I can convey that it's potentially causing me some issues.

Have you actually said that you want to pump more often? They may not know what you want or need unless you spell it out to them.

Look into your rights, I have a memory from my own return to work that the workplace protection for breastfeeding ends when the baby is a year, but I didn't pump at work so I might be wrong. It's important to be informed though so you can make reasonable suggestions.

I don’t know what the rules are. Have you checked you’re not pregnant?

depends on the kind of work you do, can you wear one of those wearable pumps?

@ColleenDonaghy I asked them how I would express outside of my break and the response was "we wouldn't expect you to be doing that". This is why I'm not sure whether my expectation of being able to express a couple of times during work hours was unreasonable in the eyes of employment rights.

That’s not ok, they should be supporting you.

https://www.acas.org.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/acas-guide-on-accommodating-breastfeeding-in-the-workplace.docx

this may help

I would like to think that they should support you, but how long does it take you to express?
I know, even if I was very full, twenty minutes would get me a measly 3-4 oz; I was really poor at expressing. Before I tried, I'd imagined that 5 minutes and I'd have a couple of full bottles and all fine!
So they may be thinking that why don't you nip out for 5 minutes and not make a fuss about it, because no one would notice that.

I'd also say that with #1, who weaned easily, she only had 3 feeds a day, one first thing in the morning, and one last thing at night, by 10 months old, so I'd only have needed to pump once. My #2 thought solids were a very bad idea and would have 6+ feeds even at 14/15 months.
So again, they may think that, assuming your dc is around a year, that one pumping break is fine. With #2 I'd have needed to do three plus.

I'd try and talk it through with what you think you need compared to what they think is reasonable. You may simply find that they've made assumptions from a stage of ignorance or from their own dc.

I would contact pregnant then screwed and ACAS for advice assuming you've said that you need more pumping breaks and they have said no.

You should be given a room to pump in and you should be able to pump when you need to - perhaps every four hours or whenever the spacing of the feeds would normally be. Sounds like you may need to kick up a bit of a fuss to get it!

Thanks all, and to those who have signposted to resources.

@Nawh Definitely not pregnant unless my name is Mary!

@MargaretThursday I don't think it's the amount of time, so long as I had one let down per session I think I'd be fine. I read somewhere that your hormones begin to change after 8 hours of not feeding (presumably signalling no requirement for milk/ready to begin ovulating, etc again).

@catsnore Unfortunately I'm not given a room regardless, I do it in my car on break (and don't work in a fixed location to nip out when I'm working).

It’s important to tell an employer about the need to express milk at work. Breastfeeding/expressing breaks in the workplace are not a statutory requirement, but the Equality Act 2010 considers failing to assess or take action on health and safety risks for a breastfeeding woman as sex discrimination. Providing employees with breaks to breastfeed or express may reduce health risks, such as that of developing mastitis.
• Employers are required by law to provide a breastfeeding mother with a place to rest, and this could be used as a room to breastfeed or express. The provision of washing facilities and a clean secure fridge to store milk are recommended.

www.laleche.org.uk/legal-rights-breastfeeding-mothers-returning-paid-employment/