Plea for breaks at work so mums can breastfeed

WOMEN in offices should get time away from their work to breastfeed their children the way smokers get cigarette breaks, Scotland’s top midwife has said.

Gillian Smith, director of the Royal College of Midwives in Scotland, says employers should be required to allow women breaks to feed their babies and, if staff do not live close enough to bring their child in, they should be given time to express milk for when they get home.

With many career women returning to work a few short months after giving birth, Mrs Smith wants fewer to feel the need to wean their babies before they go back.

‘Breastfeeding is good for a child and of benefit to future generations’ health if we encourage it,’ she said. ‘And already many companies allow people to take smoking breaks which we know absolutely are detrimental to health.

‘Therefore we believe women should get breaks either to breastfeed or express.’

The World Health Organisation recommends babies should be breastfed for the first six months of their life to cut their risk of infections, diarrhoea and vomiting, while breastfeeding protects mothers from breast and ovarian cancer.

But last year it emerged almost two-thirds of women in Scotland have given up and are using formula milk as early as ten days after giving birth. For those continuing, women are advised by public health experts to speak to their boss as early as possible if they plan to breastfeed.

But employers have no legal requirement to allow breaks from work for women to breastfeed or to express milk for later use.

Conciliation service Acas says employers should consider letting women store their breast milk in company fridges as ‘good practice’.

But it says in its advice: ‘The law doesn’t require an employer to grant paid breaks from a job in order to breastfeed or to express milk for storage and later use.

‘Neither does it require an employer to provide facilities to breastfeed or express milk.’

Scottish Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: ‘We would encourage employers and employees to discuss individual needs and circumstances ahead of the employee returning to work.’

‘Benefit future generations’