My latest update from the [British] Health and Safety Executive mentions their guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers
MOTHERS AT WORK
++ International Women's Day ++
In support, HSE is raising awareness of its guidance for new and expectant mothers.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/index.htm?ebul=hsegen/16-mar-2009&cr=9
If you click through to the leaflet http://www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/mothers.htm you will find this
Rest facilities for pregnant and breastfeeding women
Many pregnant women feel tired and need to rest. Breastfeeding mothers need a clean, private place to express and store their milk. Employers are legally required to provide suitable rest facilities for workers who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, although not a legal requirement, employers are encouraged to provide a healthy and safe environment for nursing mothers to express and store milk. This could be provided in the suitable rest facilities. However, it is not suitable for toilets to be used for this purpose.
It is not a legal requirement to provide a pumping room but it is a requirement to provide rest facilities. And a recognition that it is not suitable for toilets to be used for pumping. Unless you have a recognition that using a toilet for pumping is wrong, unhygienic and unacceptable you are going to have people saying use the toilets. Maybe the American euphemism rest room actually blinds people to the intended use of the facility when they say it's ok to pump or nurse in there. Are there no hygiene regulations in the US? In a UK restaurant it is not allowed that a toilet opens straight into a room where eating or cooking is going on, there has to be another [however small] room in between. I remember the old ladies rooms in the old department stores, and not minding too much nursing in the anteroom, did we used to call it the powder room, there were mirrors, and comfy chairs, and you could take a break from shopping and do your hair, and make up, that sort of thing.
Did anyone see the story from Argentina?
http://www.laleche.org.uk/pages/news/news.htm
Helen
LLL England
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:53:44 +0200
> From: Sanna-Mari <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Pumping in the restroom
>
> 2009/3/16 Desirre Andrews CCCE, LCCE, CLD, CLE <[log in to unmask]>
>
> # =A0I cannot IMAGINE ever pumping in a bathroom stall. #
>
>
> Well imagine someone doing it for several months ;) . I returned to
> work when my babies were 10 months and 9 months, and pumped for them
> until they were 2,5 years and 2+ years. And all that pumping (once a
> day) was done in a bathroom stall, as that was the only private place.
> We worked in an open office, and there was one meeting room, but male
> bosses preferred to use the men's room of that meeting room. Sooo,
> under the circumstances, I preferred the ladies' room ;) .
>
> Sanna-Mari
> bf support group leader
> Finland, Scandinavia
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