Workplaces that actively support parents to continue breastfeeding when returning from work benefit from reduced staff turnover, reduced absenteeism, and increased productivity. See: Why Investing in Breastfeeding Support Makes Sense.
Louise Carr-Niel ‘s breastfeeding experience after returning to work
“Returning to work from parental leave a year after having my first pēpi was truly made easier by being in a workplace that was supportive of breastfeeding. My bub was an exclusively breastfed babe, so I was determined that my return to work would not change that.
On the days that I was at work, I pumped milk so that he could have expressed milk in a bottle when he was at daycare or with dad. Initially this was twice a day and then dropped to once a day until he was fully weaned at 17 months. Having a dedicated breastfeeding room with a comfy chair made this process really easy- I could keep my pumps in there for the day, and there was a sink and paper towels for easy washing up too. The door was lockable too, which meant I was not worried about privacy.
At first, I experimented with going into the room to set the pumps up, returning to my desk to keep working, and then returning to the feeding room again to decant the milk and clean the pumps, but this actually ended up being more disruptive then just staying in the room and tackling my emails on my work phone.
Having a fridge nearby was also handy as it meant I could store the breastmilk easily and pick it up on my way to the car at the end of the day. I also appreciated the support of my team leader too, it was always easy to fit pumping into my calendar, and it was always treated as a normal part of my workday”
See more Return to Work Stories.
Key considerations for your workplace.
- Understand your legal obligations in supporting parents returning to work.
- Develop or update your breastfeeding policy and/or work through a return to work plan with returning parents.
- Create welcoming, private, functional and comfortable spaces for breastfeeding or expressing.
- Strengthen staff capability to support breastfeeding by embedding Women’s Health Action resources, breastfeeding policy expectations, and breastfeeding liaison person responsibilities into all staff induction programmes.
- Share breastfeeding resources and support. Utilise the Womens Health Action directory to see what supports are available in your area.
- Display breastfeeding friendly signage.
- Celebrate world breastfeeding week.
Other Key Resources:
Parental leave | Employment New Zealand
