Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Living well
  4. Birth to five
  5. After the birth of your child
  6. Feeding your baby

Breastfeeding and going back to work

Exclusive breastfeeding (giving your baby breast milk only) is recommended for the first six months of your baby’s life. If you plan to continue breastfeeding when you go back to work (or college), you will need to think about how your baby is going to be fed.

Guidance for pregnant women and information on what is happening in their regional unit during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak can be found on NI Maternity

Making it work

There are several options to help you continue to breastfeed when you return to work.

You can:

  • arrange for childcare close to work so you can breastfeed during breaks, or before and after work
  • express breastmilk (removing your milk from the breast by hand or using a breast pump) so that someone else can feed your baby while you’re at work
  • ask your employer for flexible working hours that are arranged around your breastfeeding needs
  • use a mixture of breastfeeding and formula feeding to fit around your work hours

You can start planning before your baby is born. Before you go back to work, write to your employer to let them know you wish to continue breastfeeding.

A brief guide for your health and safety is available through the health and safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI):

  • Protecting pregnant workers and new mothers

A booklet for pregnant women and new mothers who are thinking about combining breastfeeding and working is available from the Public Health Agency;

  • Breastfeeding and returning to work

Talk to other breastfeeding mothers

Find out at your local breastfeeding support group how other mothers continued to breastfeed when they returned to work.

  • Local breastfeeding support groups

Information for employers

It is for a mother to decide how long she wishes to breastfeed. Returning to work doesn’t mean that she has to stop. On returning to work, she should give her employer written notification that she is breastfeeding.

Employers are required to provide suitable facilities where pregnant and breastfeeding women can rest. They must also protect the health and safety of new and expectant mothers.

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland recommends that it’s good practice for employers to provide a private, healthy and safe environment for breastfeeding mothers to express and store milk. It is not suitable to use toilets for this purpose.

  • An employer’s guide to supporting breastfeeding employees

It is also recommended that workplaces have a policy on supporting breastfeeding mothers. A sample policy is available from the Public Health Agency website.

More useful links

  • National Childbirth Trust
  • The Breastfeeding Network
  • La Leche League
  • Healthy eating for breastfeeding
  • Common problems when breastfeeding
  • Bottle feeding your baby
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Feeding your baby

  • Bottle feeding your baby
  • Breastfeeding
  • Breastfeeding and going back to work
  • Common problems when breastfeeding your baby
  • Feeding your baby (aged nine months to a year)
  • Healthy eating for breastfeeding
  • Problems with eating and food allergies in children
  • Taking medication while breastfeeding
  • Weaning your baby

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS