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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Working from home, breastfeeding, zoom meetings

49 replies

jadelou85 · 30/09/2021 17:19

Since the lockdowns my company has set thing up to allow most of us to work from home so my whole return to work hasn't been the wrench / challenge that I thought it would be. We do have a lot of zoom meetings and to start with everyone including my boss was fine if I dropped out of meetings if I needed to feed. I still had the feeling some people thought I was using it as an excuse so a few weeks ago I just told my boss I needed to feed but I was OK to carry on with our meeting. I managed to be discreet and was pretty chuffed with myself until right at the end I had a mssive slip-up becuase I was paying more attention to the meeting than what I was doing. I probably wouldn't have attempted it again after that but since that day I've felt more and more pressure to 'just get on with it' and take the multi-tasking approach. He hasn't been direct about it but my boss has made more than one comment along these lines even though he was always fine with me dropping our occasionally before. I literally feel I'm being pressured into now and I don't know how to deal with it. I feel lucky to be allowed to work from home but it feels a bit like an ultimatum like stay on meetings if you need to BF or come back to the office. Can someone help me put this in perspective and even better suggest how to deal with it or how to approach the subject without it being any more uncomfortable than it needs to be?

OP posts:
MyothercarisaCozyCoupe · 30/09/2021 17:22

Who is looking after your baby around feeds?

Chewieboora · 30/09/2021 17:22

Are you working while looking after your child? How old are they? If you are, how can you do either properly? Or do you have a nanny at home?

DragonMamma · 30/09/2021 17:23

Who’s looking after the baby when you’re working? Maybe that’s the issue?

PinkDaffodil2 · 30/09/2021 17:24

Could you turn the camera off while feeding - then you’re less preoccupied with exposure and and concentrate on the meeting better?

MyothercarisaCozyCoupe · 30/09/2021 17:25

But, to answer your question. I don't think it's unreasonable for your employer to expect you to put meetings first if you're working. A decent employer will try to support you but I don't think it's fair to just fit work around your baby all day every day.

crimsonlake · 30/09/2021 17:31

Surely you are not looking after your baby at home whilst you are working?

girlmom21 · 30/09/2021 17:32

You used the word occasionally but then say a few weeks ago you had a slip up and your boss suggested you multi-task and get on with it ever since.

This suggests it's happening a lot more regularly than 'occasionally'.

If you've been breastfeeding during meeting times ever since the start of lockdown your child's presumably old enough to wait until after your meeting?

jadelou85 · 30/09/2021 17:34

@crimsonlake

Surely you are not looking after your baby at home whilst you are working?
Correct.
OP posts:
StripeyBadger · 30/09/2021 17:34

Your employer has certain legal obligations towards you as a breastfeeding mother. However, I am surprised you are being allowed to work at the same time. What is your childcare set up? I think you should be discussing your rights and also accept that you are not entitled to be paid for breastfeeding/expressing breaks, which might mean further adjustments to your working day.

LittleBearPad · 30/09/2021 17:35

Turn the camera off.

But you can’t look after your baby and work long term. You need to get some childcare in place

LazySundayPlease · 30/09/2021 17:38

I find this crazy. I am very supportive of working mums (I am one!) but if you'd been back in the office you wouldn't be able to breastfeed or look after your baby!

You need to a) organise proper childcare and b) make arrangements so you aren't needing to breastfeed during working hours.

I am totally shocked that you think this is ok!!! If you worked in my team (and I'm known as a soft touch when it comes to parenting related requests by mums or dads) I would have told you this straight.

Is there more to the background as if not, you are being totally unreasonable?

Ozanj · 30/09/2021 17:38

Why do you need to drop out? I’m still breastfeeding a toddler while wfh f/t (it’s 2 days a week since he started nursery but was 5 days before) . I just switch the camera off and claim Zoom / wifi difficulties. They won’t be able to hear the sound of baby breastfeeding if you use a headset.

thedevilinablackdress · 30/09/2021 17:39

You wouldn't have your baby in the office all day so you need childcare. You wouldn't have your baby in the office so it's the same if you're wfh.

Ozanj · 30/09/2021 17:41

@LazySundayPlease

I find this crazy. I am very supportive of working mums (I am one!) but if you'd been back in the office you wouldn't be able to breastfeed or look after your baby!

You need to a) organise proper childcare and b) make arrangements so you aren't needing to breastfeed during working hours.

I am totally shocked that you think this is ok!!! If you worked in my team (and I'm known as a soft touch when it comes to parenting related requests by mums or dads) I would have told you this straight.

Is there more to the background as if not, you are being totally unreasonable?

Companies have to make allowances for breastfeeding mothers. If OP was in the office she would be able to pump for however long she needed every 1-2 hours. No different to feeding a baby. As for childcare - wfh contracts tend to have ranges eg 8-8pm. So as long as you sign in and do your work during that time it’s ok.
Frogsandsheep · 30/09/2021 17:41

I think it’s pretty clear that @jadelou85 has got childcare in place (possibly a nanny?) but bios out just to feed.

I think people are will fully misinterpreting the OP if you think the baby is left alone while she works!

Blackkoala · 30/09/2021 17:41

Can you pump and have whoever is looking after your baby while you work give them a bottle?

Frogsandsheep · 30/09/2021 17:42

*pops out to feed!
Not sure where the typo bios came from!

Chewieboora · 30/09/2021 17:46

Surely just turn off the camera then, or dont feed while you've got a meeting? Think your work have been very reasonable.

jadelou85 · 30/09/2021 17:50

@Frogsandsheep

I think it’s pretty clear that *@jadelou85* has got childcare in place (possibly a nanny?) but bios out just to feed.

I think people are will fully misinterpreting the OP if you think the baby is left alone while she works!

Thank you!!!
OP posts:
jadelou85 · 30/09/2021 17:52

@Blackkoala

Can you pump and have whoever is looking after your baby while you work give them a bottle?
Yeah, I could but it when I'm right there it feels unecessary. I might as well be back in the office anyway.
OP posts:
MilduraS · 30/09/2021 18:02

My colleague breastfeeds during meetings all the time. She uses a PC for working but has a laptop on the side for Teams so she can angle it upwards and it stops below her chin. If she needs to shuffle she has enough leeway without risk of exposure. I didn't have a clue until about 6 months into lockdown when she mentioned it.

DriftingBlue · 30/09/2021 18:04

We are generally on mute unless speaking.

For most meetings, If caregiver brings baby in to feed I would just switch off camera and get to it. Unmute as needed.

I’m normally a whip out the boob where ever you happen to be type, but a zoom meeting is a time I would just turn the camera off.

If it’s a meeting where you are presenting or really need to focus, you need to have some sort of signal to caregiver that this block of time can’t be interrupted. My child is older so doesn’t even need a caregiver, but I use a light outside my office door to indicate do not disturb unless it’s a real emergency. I also provide a schedule at beginning of day if there are certain key times I am absolutely unavailable.

jadelou85 · 30/09/2021 18:07

@MyothercarisaCozyCoupe

Who is looking after your baby around feeds?
Why?
OP posts:
OverTheRubicon · 30/09/2021 18:07

How old is your baby? 4 months I'd try to work around my employee, 11 months or older I'd be expecting them to feed much less frequently and to manage it around meetings, just as you would when pumping in an office.

nc4565 · 30/09/2021 18:10

I would have thought that your employer would expect you to be working as if you were in the office, so breastfeeding wouldn't be an option.

As PP have suggested, turn the camera off, or express a bottle.

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