Work being funny about me bf'ing

[ellie]

Anyone else had this? How did / do you handle it?

When I return to work full time LO will be almost 1 I am bf'ing until he self weans, and he's not yet showing signs of wanting to (though he feeds much less through the day).

I wrote to to my line manager a while back, stating I would be continuing bf'ing and will be expressing in work, probably only once a day. I stated that I would need facilities to do this (i.e. a private room and access to a fridge). My job is placement based, I'll be based in offices, but space will be very limited and I'm usually lucky to even have a desk! I'd only need to, say, borrow someone's office for about 20 mins probably at lunchtime. However, my manager has said they 'can't guarantee' space, because it'll be in a different place and there'll be limited space. And there have been comments like 'you've been doing it for a long time now', 'oh he'll be 1 so you won't be continuing breastfeeding I presume', and things that suggest they won't support me extended bf'ing, and that even now they don't really.

Am I unreasonable to push (on my return now, probably) for a space? Is there anything like a time limit for their obligations to support bf'ing mothers? (like do they only have to provide facilities up till 6m or a year or anything like that?) I guess I wasn't thinking I'd be doing it indefinitely anyway? Or should I just not bother pushing for it and not express during the day?

I just printed out the maternity policy (which only says there are 'guidelines', not obligations). And this is an NHS trust as well ........ I spoke to someone in HR who said they would support me, but I will be on placement in a different trust, so they said they can't do anything about facilities there.

It's really important to me and I feel like I might end up expressing in the toilets or in my car or something

 

[MelanieAnn]

https://www.maternityaction.org.uk/breastfeedingrights.html

 

[bloodbinds]

Ususally by 1 year breastfed babies only need 2 feeds, one in the morning and one at night, so you might not need to express at all by this point! But saying that, some babies continue having 4+ feeds throughout the day so it will depend on your LO. If you do find yourself needing to express at work then you can push for a private room as tell them you will be expressing whether they give you a room or not and you do not want to make people feel uncomfortable by doing it in the middle of the office, which is what they will be forcing you to do if they do not give you a private room (No one should be as insulting to suggest you going to your car or the toilet) Hope this helps xx

 

[Szaffi]

I went back to work a month ago and thus dropped all feedings but morning and evening. The first couple of days I expected having need to pump, but even though my breast were a bit sore, all the leaks could be handled with just pads.

My milk supply adjusted in a matter of days. Like others have said, your baby will be fine without breastmilk during the day and you can keep nursing morning and evening. Returning to work is already painful - I think trying to pump too would be quite difficult (at least for me).

ETA: I'd suggest also to slowly cut down on daytime snacking in the weeks before you go back to work, it will help both your LO and your boobs in the transition.

 

[Jchihuahua]

It is so difficult isn't it? I express in a cupboard in my classroom (I'm a teacher) My milk supply adjusted really quickly when I went back to work and I only need to express for 10 mins once a day at work now.

 

[daisyblue]

I'm a teacher and express in a cupboard in someone's classroom! I was going to the disbled toilet but thankfully a lovely colleague offered me her cupboard! I've not written to the school about it, just told my line manager and sorted the rest myself. It takes about half an hour from start to finish, including the washing up and putting it all away again.

 

[joeyjo]

George had dropped day time feeds by 10 months - also a lot of BF babies won't take regular bottles of EBM if they are introduced later on anyway, I think its a real possibility you won't have to express.

 

[Nel]

I went back to work when my LO was a year and it was very easy for both of us to adjust to feeding just morning and night. It kind of happened naturally, my boobs weren't too sore, but I was careful to wear breast pads at first!

I think the reduction in BF also brought on my first AF, something to look out for if you haven't already had it.

 

[ellie]

Thanks girls, I feel reasurred that he wont need feeds through the day when I go back (most days he doesnt now anyway). I guess I was thinking that I actually want to express once a day to keep my supply up (and to have the milk that he can then have in his cereal the next day) - I was annoyed that work were making funny comments which implied they wouldnt support it. I dont mind expressing in a cupboard but it was the suggesttion that they wouldnt even provide that that I was concerned about. I can't see any guidelines that say employers only have to support you up till 6 months or a year or anything?

 

[Racheldigger]

As far as I know there is no time cut-off. I'm fortunate enough to have my own office, with a lock on the door, so I can pump at my desk while operating the mouse with my other hand!

 

[MandaAnda]

Since you'll be at hospitals, I wonder if their maternity services would accommodate you? Most neonatal units (NICU/SCBU) have expressing rooms for mums of babies on the unit, so maybe they could let you as well? I'm returning to work in 10 days onto a neonatal unit but at a new hospital - they're kind enough to let me use one of the pumps the mums use and are going to make sure I have time to express. Neonatal units tend to be very bf'ing friendly, so maybe it's worth a word to the ward manager of the unit of whichever hospital you're at?

 

[ellie]

Thanks Manda but i wont be at hospitals - i'll be in psychology depts probably in mental health units. nice thought though!