of a suitable room for expressing or
feeding. But these companies are the
exception, rather than the rule.
Providing a feeding or expressing
space sounds simple enough, but this
can come low down on a company’s
list of priorities. According to Maggie
Holmes, breastfeeding counsellor with
La Leche League, “Many mothers
end up expressing milk in the toilets.
Space is at a premium here, so in
smaller companies, the toilet space
is really very, very small. One of our
mothers had to run an electrical lead
from her office round the corner into
the bathroom for her pump.”
But although important, suitable
facilities are just a part of the picture
for a woman who is seeking to
continue breastfeeding. According
to Maggie, “When a mother returns
to work and wants to breastfeed her
baby, she really doesn’t need much in
the way of special facilities. What is
more important is the attitude of her
boss and colleagues. It’s really crucial
that she can talk to them frankly about
what she needs to do, and that she can
take time out to express milk.”
Making it work
One mum who did manage to
continue breastfeeding while back at
work is Emma Carr, a merchandising
director for a UK ladies’ fashion
brand. Emma, from Mid-Levels,
says, “In the weeks before going back
to work, I trialled pumping and my
daughter’s carer bottle-feeding her so
everyone involved was as prepared as
possible. I had been pumping extra
milk and storing it in the freezer. At
first, it had been difficult to express
anywhere close to what I needed, but
over time my body got used to it and I
was able to get much closer.
“When I started back at work, I
arranged to be home for both the
morning and evening feed, which was
at 5pm, and my daughter was having
two feeds while I was away. When my
daughter was in bed, I finished off
anything outstanding or made calls to
the UK. At work, I had to express four
times per day, so I arranged my diary
around this. Other than the toilet,
there was only one room in our office
that had a lock on the door – this was
a fabric/meeting room, and although
not ideal, at least it was free most of
the time, and was a place I could
store the hospital-grade pump I had
hired. Travelling was more difficult
to negotiate, but I ended up not
travelling until my daughter was seven
months old.”
Since then, Emma has gone on to
have twin boys, and has achieved a
similar routine second time around.
Although, inevitably, there have been
hurdles to overcome (such as the
early difficulties she experienced with
pumping) Emma was not deterred.
She says, “Determination is essential
and knowledge is key. Surround
yourself with other breastfeeding
mamas who can support what you are
trying to do. Joining La Leche League
before my daughter was born was
invaluable – the sharing of stories and
knowledge imparted by the leaders at
February 2014
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