Workplaces going to be urged for private Breastfeeding areas

[HermyaAndThePomBears]

Here!

The government are going to give mothers the right to Brestfeed at work.

I don't know about anybody else, but I think this is great news.

[dustythedolphin]

gealic I often BF mine at work too and everyone was very supportive, no one even blinked. I've sat and BF in meetings (as did Cherie Blair I believe, not that I would hold her up as a role model generally )and everything progressed as normal.

Women are built to multi task after all

Its a shame that some people in this country have a hang up about BF and air their negativity on here, when in most countries BF is just a normal part of everyday life

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

Yes have to say people often dont notice when I feed and even ask me afterwards shouldnt I have fed that baby by now!

DH did the same the other day when we were at his inlaws. He remarked at how strange it was DS2 had not fed the entire time we were there...erm, yes he has, 3 times in fact!

People often come up to me, stroke the baby's head then jump because they hadnt realised I was feeding...

[dustythedolphin]

peppa

I was at a big work event once and someone came and took some publicity-about-the-event type photos of me, without even realising that I was sitting feeding the LO :)

[northerngirl41]

a1b2 - absolutely he is reinforcing the red tape. This is another hoop that employers must jump through. They have to make it available so it's more office space, more electricity, more capital expenditure in order to be an employer.

He says he wants to help small businesses but this red tape is killing them. I'd love to be able to employ more people but I won't because laws like this place more and more emphasis on the employer to be the employees nanny. So a job with flexible hours, home working options etc. is not open to a mum who might really like to have a job that fits round the kids.

And many more jobs will go this way too.

[gaelicsheep]

The fact is that all workplaces should have somewhere for any employee who needs a quiet space, be it for expressing, coping with a raging headache, resting while pregnant etc. When I was pg with DS I was so tired and just needed half an hour's rest over lunchtime to make me more effective. To get into the work sick room meant getting past the gestapo, and then they wouldn't let me use it unless they called an ambulance . Covering themselves I guess. I started taking teo hour lunches so I could go home. They missed out on any extra hours I may have worked otherwise.

[fiveisanawfullybignumber]

Chunky, I really hope you're my boss!
I'm due to back soon, and due to severe reflux and multiple food intollerances DD is still BF at 7m & going strong. The gunk that passes for formula in her case is so disgusting she refuses it. All other mums I know in the same position now or previously have stopped BF and babies have failed to thrive.
For me personally this would make the difference between going back part time or not at all, and to be honest, we need the money!

[lushlady]

Yeah, I think there should be a quite area for anyone who needs it. Work can be stressful and people working that closely together sometimes need a bit of space. Same for breastfeeding - everyone need a bit of space sometimes.

[ISNT]

northerngirl please read the link. You keep firing off sideways.

This is not a new policy for anyone, it has been in place for over a decade.

However the current policy is a recommendation it is not law. And the tories are not proposing to make it law.

It is currently recommended that employers facilitate expressing etc, the tories have said they will recommend that employers facilitate expressing etc. ie exactly the same and in neither case is it an obligation.

So what are you whiffling on about new policies and red tape?

[ISNT]

I really don't understand the mentality which would seriously begrudge someone a few mins to go and sit and express some milk. It is terrible when you think about it.

I bet you lot get shirty about the woman who always offers to get the drinks in and the man who goes for a long crap every morning too.

Live and let live, people.

[tiktok]

"more office space, more electricity, more capital expenditure".....???????

More office space = a quiet, private corner which all workplaces should have anyway, and if they don't, it should be enforced on health and safety grounds

More electricity = the power to whirr the very small motor on a pump, for a limited time, for a few months. Rather less than is required to boil a kettle, I would have thought.

More capital expenditure = wearing out a chair, perhaps? You surely already have a small fridge.

I have heard of mean-ness but this is ridiculous, northerngirl, don't you think?

[ISNT]

No wonder the british are so bleeding miserable. Work is a huge part of life and is seems some out there are hell bent on making it as awful as humanly possible, arguing that this is the right and correct way of doing it

How many times does it have to be said - happy employees are better, more productive employees, produce higher quality work and don't leave every 5 mins. You keen business types must have heard the management speak "win win" before, I imagine.

[AdelaofBlois]

Assume this is about expressing not breastfeeding (how would that work exactly?) but the infrastructure isn't just a tack on room-breastmilk is classed as a bodily product, so needs a separate fridge; the equipment needs sterilising. When my partner went back to work, intending to express in the same breaks as anyone else, she expressed easily enough, but it was these things that were picked up on not the expressing itself-and if you can't keep milk in a fridge or leave a steriliser unattended, then you can't express, even if you've got a sodding palace set aside with baby pictures, chocolate, dancing boys and the Dukes of Hazzard theme playing (all of which she said helped her get let down).

Am saddened by all the 'same is equal' crap and 'business won't employ women' stuff here. The workplace is not neutral, it's designed around men (queues for toilets anyone?). Trying to work against this is about equality, because bodies are different, not about extra perks. Nobody is going 'Male cricket fans take time off in summer, let's not employ them', or 'skiers have more sick days'. It's all crap.

Women with breastfeeding children are often in permanent jobs. They are employed for what the offer for the rest of their working lives. Having children makes them less able to leave and take their expertise with them. Accommodating a specific need they have for a few years of their lives is good business sense, not feminism gone mad.

[tiktok]

Adela - you are not correct. There is no separate fridge required - some people might prefer to have their own fridge, but it is not necessary. Keeping the milk in a separate, labelled container is sufficient. A steriliser, if used, can be kept perfectly safely in a container where the mother can attend to it, if she does not want it in the communal area. She is unlikely to need to sterilse at work anyway - bringing the pump and containers to work clean and sterilised from home would be sufficient.

It's really not hard for businesses to accomodate anything of this.

Clearly, the chocolate and the dancing boys would be a nice extra touch :) :)

[dustythedolphin]

Adela there is no requirement for an extra fridge

Northerngirl why are you so resentful and begrudging towards Mums who BF? You rather remind me of Scrooge with your mean attitude towards fellow humans

[dustythedolphin]

Tiktok, you are right. I spent yrs expressing and never had to sterilise. I just brought in my mini pump and a bottle or two, expressed and then popped it into the staff fridge in a bag.

If I did two expressos during the day (if I worked late for example), I would just give the equipment a very thorough wash with hot soap and water between the sessions.

A lot of employers have a quiet room/large storage cupboard/empty office for the day and if I was off site, there would always be someone very happy to lend me their office for 15/20 minutes at lunchtime.

If our quiet room was occupies I would sit in the CEO's storage cupboard, next to the hampers and crates of champers - quite cheery

If I was busy at work, I would take some reading material in with me, so at least I could get some work reading done without being disturbed :)

BTW, for anyone who thinks BF Mums are "skivers" (a la Scrooge/northerngirl) I was in the top 10% of employees that year for work performance

[tiktok]

Common sense, isn't it?

If your workplace has a fridge that's truly disgustingly filthy and colleagues who cannot be trusted to mess about with your labelled stuff, you might not want to store your ebm in it.

If you work the fork lift truck on a building site, then you won't keep your breastpump actually in the truck beside you, and you will find somewhere cleaner.

EBM will be fine in a coolbag for a few hours, anyway. Wash breastpump between uses in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Keep in a closeable bag.

No need for separate fridges or sterilisers for most women.

[Pootles2010]

Like you say tiktok, totally depends on situation. I prefer to sterilise, but don't need steriliser - just have a tupperware box and a bottle of milton - works just fine.

[famousboobies]

I went on local radio to talk about this today :)

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00cb7z6/Heather_Stott_Manchester_Dogs_Home_and_foster_parent_appeal

I am on around 2hrs 31 min - you can skip forward!

No idea why the odd title btw!

[verycherry]

As ISNT says this is not new, the recommendations are already in place.

DP bought ds3 into my workplace when I returned to work in 2008, he was 7.5m old and I fed him once a day for about 2 months. I am lucky (logistically) in that I work 3x12.5 hr shifts a wk, some nights (which he slept thru) so it actually only worked out to be once or twice a week.

It took me 10-15 mins to feed and my employers supported and enabled me to do so. It equated to such a short time and interruption to my shift that it really was a total non issue to all my colleagues.

As these recommendations already exist we can see it has not impacted in anyway on business/productivity etc etc and in reality as mentioned further up the thread it will only apply to a relatively tiny number of mothers.

Also along with a happier mother being more productive employers may reap the benefit of breeding mothers having to take less time off with sick children. I have never had to take a sick day to care for any of bf babies (tho of course realise there are other variables affecting child health, but benefits of breeding re immunity etc are well documented)

[verycherry]

ahem bfeeding not breeding of course....

[KristinaM]

I'm an employer and i dont hate bf

[msbossy]

Am I the only one who doesn't want my boobs to be outside my bra within my workplace? And breast milk all over my work clothes?

It's great that for those who can express tidily, and are comfortable with the idea that they can express at work or even BF in meetings but I just wouldn't/couldn't (picture squirting boobs and choking baby) and this is another way to lay on the feelings of inadequacy.

[tiktok]

msbossy - the proposed change is that mothers will be permitted to ask if they can express at work.

It is not going to be made compulsory to do so.

People who don't want to do it for whatever reason don't need to complain that it 'lays on feelings of inadequacy.

Jeez.

So because you don't like the idea, no one should be allowed to ask, in case it lays on feelings of inadequacy....so much for the sisterhood, so much for choice.

:(

[LaydeeLaLa]

Actually, I think this is old news unless something significant has changed? I don't know the difference in the policies but when I returned to work a year ago and still BF DD2, it was a requirement for employers to provide a clean and comfortable private space for expressing and for storage etc. My firm were fantastic.

I was (and still am) the only senior female member of staff to have gone on maternity leave, let alone return while BF for 6 months and they bent over backwards to support me. I was able to come in slightly later to ensure DD2 fed well in the mornings to prevent me getting too uncomfortable and I blocked out time mid morning and mid afternoon to sterilise, pump and store. I even had my own microwave, fridge and freezer space :)

I do realise this is not the norm and that I was very lucky but I hope any changes in legislation make this a more usual experience for new mums who want to be at work and equally want to BF.

[LaydeeLaLa]

Also, forgot to say that while on mat leave I attended several meetings during which I BF and nobody batted an eyelid. I work in a very male dominated industry in a predominantly male office and everyone was very cool and relaxed about it all. My boss at the time even held DD2 while I spoke during one meeting and I can even remember years ago attending my interview at this firm and one of the only other women (now a close friend) had her newborn with her while she interviewed me, with her hubby on standby outside to take over if baby got stressed.