....do you work in one? What improvements would make your workplace more baby-friendly?

I've recently returned to work full-time. Last week my manager approached me and asked what I thought about making our workplace breastfeeding friendly. In his words "since half the team is pregnant / have babies and god knows how many are trying" ...."and we'd like them to return to work".

Well unfortunately for me, DS is fully formula fed, but I jumped at the opportunity to advocate for other mothers. I said it would be good to have a private room (with blinds and lockable door) to either BF or pump, that had a comfortable chair and possibly a sink for sterilising etc and small fridge for storing EBM (can just imagine the comments if EBM was stored in the main fridge in the tearoom), and somewhere to plug an electric breastpump in.

My manager sounded positive about all that, but due to lack of space thought it may need to be a dual-use room (ie perhaps those facilities could be added to an existing meeting room, which could also be booked for BF/pumping). I guess that should work, as anyone can book a meeting room electronically and they are often vacant.

It made me think about what else would make our workplace more baby friendly. E.g. we could definitely benefit from a "sick bed", as we don't have one. When pregnant, I often wished I could have a 10 min lie down during lunch to make it through the rest of the day. And I have to say, I've had a couple of similar days since returning to work, due to being sleep deprived from DS waking several times a night. My manager just laughed off this suggestion though . But is it an unreasonable request? What else would make a workplace more baby friendly?

I returned to work fulltime when my DD was 5mo and exclusively BF'd.  I benefited from flexible break times.  A private "sick room" with power plugs for my electric breast pump, a sink for washing equipment, blinds (very important) and a heater.

Unfortunately for me it wasn't enough to enable me to express successfully but it did show me that my work was supportive of me as a working mum which I'm sure you understand is not an easy job, especially in the early months.

Another thing that my work offers for mums returning from maternity leave is an extra 5 days domestic leave to take as required and extremely flexible hours (I work my 37.5 hours pw from 7:30am-3:30pm so I can spend late afternoons with my toddler).

We don't have a daycare at work, so I guess the room would be available to Mum's whose babies are brought in to work for breastfeeding . People have brought babies to work, but usually just to show them off , or just for an hour or so at a time while they are working.

Flissty wrote: Oooh, a sick bed would be good. I was often tempted to go and lie on one of the empty patient beds (I work in a hospital) just to get a short break. .

LOL I was working as a practice nurse and in my lunch time breaks I would change the sheets on the bed I had in my clinical room and sleep for about 40mins then I would be refreashed to finish the afternoon without falling aslp at my desk. I did this everyday for the last 5 weeks at work.

I think all your ideas sound fantastic and its so nice to hear an employer actually wanting to make the changes. When I was employed at plunket they were so supportive with my Bfeeding and I Bfeed in my lunch breaks for 4 mths. Our break were are only 30mins but I was given an hour to incorporate the Bfeeding time. It was great!!