Jury service & breastfeeding

[Catscrat]

Posting here for traffic....

I had a letter a couple of weeks ago summoning me for jury service.

I asked to be excused as I’m exclusively breastfeeding (DS is 9 months old). He’s never had formula and we haven’t had any luck with bottles when I’ve tried expressing milk. I’m also not returning to work after mat leave so no childcare lined up, though I didn’t put that on the form.

Just got notification that my request has been rejected and now I’m majorly panicking!

Has anyone got any experience of this?

@Catscrat

I think it's one of those things that changes so gradually, it's hard to pinpoint how it changes as they grow.

I have quite a lot of friends who bf after a year, and only 1 of them was a SAHM. Most have worked part time going back between 9-12m, one works nights/shifts and still manages it, another regularly does 60hrs+ weeks at work.

I have friends who tandem feed and are back in work (so a toddler and a preeschooler).

Even the SAHM friend can go out for the day without worry :-)

A lot of us have found that the children feed more during the pandemic as we are around, but that doesn't mean they are upset if it's not available, if that makes sense.

Best of luck.

As PPs have said chances are you won’t get re-called for a while. I’m assuming you are planning to be a SAHP as they won’t accept breastfeeding as an excuse if you’re normally working.

I would forget about it for now until you hear back from them as your situation may be completely different - you never know you may have a newborn then

@SilverBirchWithout Thank you, that’s good advice. Mine was actually similar (focused around children) so I can empathise- it’s utterly horrible. Glad you have got yours under control.
Thankfully CBT did wonders for me so would consider myself as ‘recovered’ if that’s the right term. Though I think I’m anxious by nature (have been worrying about this jury thing all day for example) it’s very different from the anxiety I had treatment for which felt all consuming. I do worry about something triggering it again but thankfully have been ok so far.

Not the same scenario but I was on adoption leave doing foster to adopt with a tiny baby with attachment issues when I got called. Had no alternative childcare and couldn't just leave him with even my husband as he would scream until he had a convulsion! They let me defer were very nice and four years later I have still not been called!

I got excused - I said I was more than willing to do it, could do with a rest, but they needed to provide me with childcare for my autistic dd who couldn't go to mainstream childcare options (it was summer holidays) plus childcare for my younger dd who was too young for the council holiday club (started at 8). They told me they would make a note that I couldn't do school holidays and required enhanced childcare, never called me again

@Babyboomtastic thank you, that’s really reassuring.

@toocold54 I’ll be registered as self-employed by then (I’m in the process of setting up a few things where I can do part-time from home) You’re right though, it’s not worth worrying about for now.
Also - no chance 2 kids has just about done me in haha!

Really interesting to hear how many people have deferred and not been recalled! Thanks for all the advice and comments - think I just got in a stress this morning as it was one more thing to deal with on top of everything else in this shitshow of a year
Feeling much better now!

Glad you had it deferred.

When I was called, DD2 was 17 months.

I developed mastitis and almost passed out in the deliberation room.

The foreman drove me home, I was sick in his car.

AND the defendant had to wait another day before we could deliver the not guilty verdict.

Awful experience.

[quote Catscrat]@Lancrelady80 That's a little bit harsh. I'm not trying to find excuses, I just want to prioritise the needs of my young child. I'm find the idea of being on a jury stressful enough as it is, so I'd just feel happier if it was once he's fully weaned, and I'm sure I'd be a better juror if I'm not in court with my mind elsewhere worrying about him.[/quote]
Oh gosh, that's not what I meant at to imply at all, and I'm so sorry you took it like that! Foot in mouth I didn't mean you!

Just that some poor sod must have that job of people who don't want to do it and grab excuse, and may not get that you have a good reason.

Glad you've got it sorted! I think at 9 months you could have done it as I assume he's eating food too and not exclusively breastfed as you said, but it's totally up to you and what you feel comfortable with.

I went back to work full time when my daughter was under a year old and breastfed until she was 3.5yo so it probably wouldn't have had an effect on your breastfeeding journey, but only you know what you are comfortable with. He is still really, really little so think you've made the right choice.

Glad you sorted the deferral; my friend did exactly that because my god-daughter was a breast-feeding infant. Said young lady is now coming up for her twenty-sixth birthday, and she never got called back, so I'd say you can safely relax!

Hi OP. I have been called for jury service twice and both times it was whilst I was breast feeding - first my son then my daughter. I was excused both times but told on the second occasion it would not be an acceptable excuse (reason ?!) if called a third time. Never been called again and I’d love to do it now. That was 27 years ago.

Glad you got it sorted. I was called when my DD was 2 months old and deferred because I was breastfeeding. Was still in fact breastfeeding when I got called up again exactly a year later but she was only feeding morning and bedtime so wasn’t an issue. Work were delighted that almost immediately after 1 years maternity leave I was out for 2 weeks jury service!

@cliffdiver omg that sounds horrendous - for both the defendant and you!

@Lancrelady80 Aghhhh sorry I totally misread your post!! I get what you mean now. And thank you

@kwest I hope you get called one day then! It's a shame, if courts had the facilities to accomodate parents with young children they'd probably get more representative juries.

Glad to see that deferral has been agreed.

As for jury service, if only you could do it by video link say from your nearest court of any kind or a police station, even if not by Zoom from home. There is so much hanging about I found when I did jury service, including a policeman who could have been out catching criminals or at least processing paperwork for those he caught.

I dunno. It's civic duty and everyone needs to contribute. So fine to deter if they can't accomodate breastfeeding mothers but childcare shouldn't be a reason if they reimburse the cost.

In a way, SAHMs are best jurors if childcare can be arranged.

@NovemberRain2 childcare can very well be a reason. I had to sign ds2 up for nursery before he was born and he won't be going until he's 1yo.
I also don't think childcare exists for small children that you can just use for a week or whatever for jury duty (let alone being able to settle your child in so they're not left with a stranger).
You can get out of work to do jury duty, you can't as easily leave your children.

I agree it's a civic duty if possible, however a close family member of mine is a judge and he wouldn't be expecting people to magic up childcare that doesn't exist

No but there should either be court provided care or children given priority for temp places. May not always be possible in areas of low supply but we can't just expect the rest of the adult population to work, look after kids AND do jury duty all the time.

No but there should either be court provided care or children given priority for temp places. May not always be possible in areas of low supply but we can't just expect the rest of the adult population to work, look after kids AND do jury duty all the time.

Of course we can. It’s temporary for a few years while kids are small. Court provided care would be a huge cost compared to just deferring people with small kids and completely pointless.

There’s no way I would leave my 9 month old in the care of someone I’ve never met before to be a on jury... no way!

There’s no way I would leave my 9 month old in the care of someone I’ve never met before to be a on jury... no way!

Same. We choose the people we want to look after our babies with care.

No but there should either be court provided care or children given priority for temp places. May not always be possible in areas of low supply but we can't just expect the rest of the adult population to work, look after kids AND do jury duty all the time.

Don't be ridiculous, people don't leave their children with strangers not of their choosing.
There's a small percentage of people who have no childcare whatsoever and for a small amount of time. It's hardly disrupting the justice system.

It might be for a few years. Or it might be much longer because you've got no one else to pick the kids up from school or because you have more babies. In the meantime, the rest of the working population has to pick up the slack. Please tell me how that's fair?