Should companies provide private breastfeeding areas at work?

You've probably seen the numerous articles on a new white paper by the government which encourages businesses to adopt "breastfeeding-friendly employment policies". The paper suggests that firms should set up private areas where mums can breastfeed or express milk, with facilities to store it for later use. They also want employers to give mothers greater flexibility around taking their breaks so that they can return home to breastfeed their baby. This is a particular issue for women in manual jobs as apparently only 66% of these women breastfeed in comparison to 88% of professionals.

The government hopes that the new initiatives will make it easier for mums to continue to breastfeed, giving their children the best nutritional start in life. But small business owners say that it adds further pressure, costs and legislation on them, which could end up with fewer mums being employed.

There's also the question of how this would work in practice. How many women live close enough to work to pop home to feed? Could they have someone bring the baby to their office/workplace? Perhaps the expressing route is the best bet - so mums can continue to maintain their milk supply and have steady supply of stored breastmilk for their baby while they're in the office.

We'd love to get your thoughts on this. Do you think it would make more mums breastfeed for longer? Would a private space like this be an option in your company? Let us know what you think.

Be sure to visit us on Facebook too and share your thoughts and experiences. Anyone who 'Likes' us on Facebook before 10 Dec will be put into a draw to win one of our fab breastfeeding tops