Returning to work after maternity leave can be an anxious time. It is a period of change for everyone. It is also a time when you may contemplate your breastfeeding journey. A woman may feel she has no choice but to stop breastfeeding. She may stop before she is ready to. It is absolutely possible to continue to breastfeed after your return to work. Here is some useful information to help.
Current legislation in Ireland
The Maternity Protection Act 2004 states women who have given birth in the last 26 weeks are entitled to paid breastfeeding breaks where facilities exist. This can be broken down into 1 x 60 minute break per day, 2 x 30 minute breaks per day or 3 x 20 minute breaks per day. If no breastfeeding facilities exist in the workplace, you may reduce your working day by one hour without loss of pay. If there are facilities, it should be a room with privacy that is clean and comfortable for you (not a toilet). Currently in some work places you can take breastfeeding breaks up until your child’s second birthday, e.g. HSE, civil service, teachers to name a few.
New legislation is on the way. The Maternity and Adoptive Leave Protection Acts are to be amended to increase the number of weeks from 26 to 104 weeks during which mothers are entitled to take paid time off work or have reduced working hours for breastfeeding purposes. This really is a positive step in the right direction.
If you wish to continue to breastfeed when you return to work, you must notify your employer (in writing) of your intention to breastfeed at work. You must confirm this information at least 4 weeks before the date you intend to return to employment from your maternity leave. Employers can require you to supply the child’s birth certificate (or some other document confirming the child’s date of birth).
Tips when returning to work
Needing to express or not is very individual. It will depend on your baby’s age, how long you will be away from your baby, your milk supply and your breasts storage capacity. How well your baby is established on solid food. They may be content with solids and water in your absence.
In preparation for return to work you can start to express and store your breastmilk to make up a freezer stash. Guidelines on breastmilk storage are available on the HSE website.
Calculating how much milk your baby will need can be tricky. See link- https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/ This has a breastmilk calculator which is very helpful.
It is not necessary for your baby to take a bottle, some babies will happily take milk from a sippy cup. Also, your breastmilk can be mixed in with solid food.
Whoever is caring for your baby, minder or creche, have a chat about breastmilk storage, you don’t want your hard earned breast milk going down the drain unnecessarily.
If you will need to express, link in with work and find out about facilities. You may be the first person to ask about this and might be trailblazing a path for other women.
While pumping at work watch videos of you baby or looks at pictures. This can help with letdown and enable you to collect the most milk you can.
Don't forget to take your milk home!
You may need to wear breast pads in case of leaking.
The sock trick! So you pop on a sock over the bottles collecting your breastmilk. Looking at the milk slowly dripping into the bottle can cause anxiety and stress. This can lead to a lower volume of milk yield at the end of you pumping session. The sock trick has been shown to really help!
There are special pumping bras you can purchase to allow yourself to be hands free while expressing. However, a cheaper alternative is an old sports bra with two holes cut for your flanges. Works a treat!
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