Picture this: you’ve just returned to work after maternity leave, and you find yourself expressing milk in the toilets during your lunch break. It’s unhygienic, undignified - and depressingly common. The study Maternal Wellbeing, Infant Feeding and Return to Paid Work found that 26% of mothers in their survey who expressed at work had done so in the toilets.
It’s 2025. How is this still happening?
The study also revealed that many mothers don’t ask for breastfeeding adaptations at work. Why? Some are unaware of what support should be available. Others assume it will be futile to ask - that their request will simply be turned down
The truth is, UK workplaces are failing new mothers. Shockingly, only 23% of organisations in the study’s HR survey reported having a breastfeeding policy at all - either as a dedicated policy or a section within their maternity policy. Without one, communication often falls on awkward, inconsistent conversations between mothers and their line managers.
The research also highlighted the emotional distress caused by lack of clear guidance - many mothers reported worrying while on maternity leave about how to manage their breastfeeding when returning to paid work. “Pre-return anxiety relating to managing breastfeeding and paid work, and not knowing what to expect – particularly relating to the child’s wellbeing, bodily adjustments and the workplace practicalities.”
Too often, this ends in mothers giving up breastfeeding before they want to. In practice, this lack of policies puts the entire onus on individual mothers to negotiate, often at a time when they already feel anxious and vulnerable.
Why it matters
Breastfeeding has health and wellbeing benefits - for babies and for mothers. And many mothers want to do it. Research shows 72.7% of mothers had breastfed or planned to breastfeed their babies for at least 49 weeks (Gheyoh Ndzi, 2019). But returning to work is one of the most common reasons those UK mothers who have established breastfeeding stop earlier than planned. Being supported to reach baby feeding goals has been proven very important for maternal welfare.
Those who managed returning to paid work and breastfeeding were more likely to be highly educated, in managerial roles, or from higher socio-economic backgrounds. In other words, workplace support is a matter of equality.
What mothers told researchers
The University of Reading study’s findings highlighted the same recurring barriers:
- Lack of private, hygienic facilities (a loo does not count).
- Lack of safe storage space for expressed milk.
- Not enough time to express or feed during the day.
- Little to no workplace policy or guidance.
- Missing health and safety risk assessments - even though these are legally required.
Mothers might simply need to make sure they leave on time each day, or to have a 25 minute break once a day for the first few weeks, or to be excused from overseas travel. Even those needing several expressing breaks each day are unlikely to need this adaptation as their baby grows.
The result of a lack of support? Physical consequences like reduced milk supply, engorgement or mastitis. Emotionally, mothers reported sadness, guilt, anxiety, and feeling forced to stop breastfeeding before they were ready (see Amy Brown's research on breastfeeding grief).
But when support was there, the difference was transformative. Mothers with phased returns, flexible hours, supportive line managers, or the option to work from home described relief, confidence, and the joy of meeting their feeding goals without sacrificing their careers or wellbeing.
Why an expressing room isn’t enough
Some employers think ticking the box with a “lactation room” solves the problem. It doesn’t.
A meaningful breastfeeding policy should include the following adjustments - many may only be needed for a matter of weeks or months:
- Protected time to feed or express - ideally paid breaks and adjustment of schedules to ensure cover where appropriate.
- Safe storage for expressed milk, a clean fridge with a thermometer
- Health and safety risk assessments.
- Flexible working options such as phased returns, shift adjustments, or remote work.
- Awareness training for managers, who are often well-meaning but unaware of the practicalities.
- Clear, proactive. And timely communication from employers, so parents know what to expect and don’t feel the burden of asking.
Crucially, a policy signals that breastfeeding employees are understood and valued. It sets a transparent standard, instead of leaving mothers to negotiate support on a case-by-case basis.
The business case for breastfeeding policies
Workplaces that embed family-friendly policies consistently report better job satisfaction, higher retention, and healthier, happier employees. In short: supporting breastfeeding is not just the right thing to do - it’s good business.
Time to move beyond box-ticking
I work with organisations to assess and improve their breastfeeding friendliness & create bespoke policies. I bring together both sides of the equation: the challenges parents face and the practical solutions organisations can adopt.
So here’s the challenge: if your workplace has a menopause policy, a fertility policy, or a diversity policy — why not a breastfeeding policy?
Because expressing milk in a toilet cubicle isn’t just unpleasant. It’s a signal that parents’ needs don’t matter. And in 2025, that’s a message no modern employer can afford to send.
Some useful links:
For organisations
For parents
- This project has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation. Visit nuffieldfoundation.org
References:
Brown A. (2017) Breastfeeding as a public health responsibility: a review of the evidence. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 30, 759–770 B
Brown, A (2019) Why breastfeeding grief and trauma matter, Pinter and Martin
“Returning to work is frequently given as a reason for cessation of breastfeeding in the UK. Some research shows 72.7% of mothers had breastfed or plan to breastfeed their babies for at least 49 weeks, but most mothers stopped breastfeeding before they wanted to.” (Gheyoh Ndzi, 2019)