Paid Breastfeeding Breaks For Working Mums Could Be A Reality

Breastfeeding mums could be paid to take a break to express milk and feed their baby if a law change goes ahead.

An All-Party Parliament Group (APPG) report has asked for the law to be altered to give mums both the facilities to breastfeed, places to store expressed milk and the paid time off to do so.

The report highlights the fact that new mums need lots more support at work to help boost the UK’s breastfeeding rates and child health.

The law change proposal comes after the EU called for new mums to be allowed up to two hours of paid breaks a day to breastfeed. Norway is one country that this already happens in.

While the report doesn’t state how long the breastfeeding breaks in the UK should be, if this law got the go-ahead in the UK, it could cost the Government £2.5 billion – and take a good chunk out of a mum’s working day.  

Britain currently has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the Western world, with only half of mums still breastfeeding their baby at six weeks. And officials warn that breastfeeding mums are likely to “abandon the struggle” to nurse their baby if they return to work soon after their child arrives.

But not everyone’s convinced the law change is a good idea.

Business leaders have said that paid breastfeeding breaks aren’t the way to tackle the problem and instead employers should be urged to ask the new mums that work for them what it is they need.

And let's not forget, not every new mum is able to, or does, breastfeed.

“Businesses want to support nursing mothers on their return to work,” says Lena Levy, Confederation of British Industry head of labour market policy.

“The best way to do this is for mums to have an open conversation about their needs on returning to work. A legislative approach is not the right solution.”

An Effort To Boost The Health Of Children
The APPG has also called for new guidelines to be made, to help those looking after children ensure they stay healthy.  One suggestion is that parents ban TVs and mobile devices from their child’s bedroom to limit screen time.

The ongoing struggle with child obesity is also looked at, with the report calling for a national anti-obesity strategy including ways to boost active play and the quality of food supplied in nurseries.

“Sometimes to save money – you have to spend first,” says APPG chairman Baroness Floella Benjamin of Beckhenham. “For me, investing in our children isn’t a luxury – it’s a priority and I have dedicated my entire life to it.”

[New Mummy Blog; I’m Struggling To Breastfeed – Why Isn’t There More Support Available?]

[Nude Breastfeeding Photo Is Removed From Facebook – But Should It Have Been?] 

Do you think paid breastfeeding breaks are a good idea? Let us know in the comments.