An event that aims to create more acceptance and encourages women to breastfeed
National Breastfeeding Week 2024 is running from October 1-7. A talk titled ‘Promoting Breastfeeding for Future Generations’ is taking place at the University of Limerick from 10 am to 3 pm on Wednesday, October 2 in the Pavilion.
Participating in the talk, Enobong Gideon Asuquo is a full-time general nurse at St. John’s Hospital and a PhD researcher at the University of Limerick. Enobong was one of the first women in her workplace to avail of new legislation which allows mothers to take paid breastfeeding breaks during their workday.
In July 2023, the entitlements for breastfeeding mothers in the workplace under the Irish Maternity Protection Act was extended from six months to two years. This means that by law, working mothers are entitled to breastfeeding breaks until their child’s second birthday. Breastfeeding mothers are allowed a paid break for up to one hour during an eight-hour working day on top of their normal rest breaks. This legislation applies to both mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding and/or expressing breast milk.
A lecture from experience with breastfeeding
Enobong gave birth to her third child in March 2023. After eight months, she returned to work but was eager to continue breastfeeding her youngest son, Mighty.
“I was breastfeeding exclusively for six months and after six months I knew I wanted to continue,” Enobong says.
Before resuming work, Enobong contacted her managers at St John’s Hospital to ask if she could avail of the new breastfeeding legislation. Her managers were happy to accommodate her needs as a working mother and an initial plan was put in place for her return.
“I started work, and we had several plans such as breaking in the middle of the day to go home and feed, but the logistics of that didn’t work out. I tried coming to work 30 minutes late and leaving 30 minutes early but that didn’t work out either,” she explains. “So the plan now is that I leave work one hour early – instead of finishing my shift at six o’clock, I finish at five.
Communication with the employer is key
“It was a process of trial and error, but in the end, it has worked out well,” explains Enobong.
Enobong strongly encourages other breastfeeding mothers to not be afraid to communicate with their workplace about their needs.
“Sometimes we may think that the employer is not willing, but I understand that the expectations differ from the employee to the employer so that we need to reach a common ground between employee and employer.”
“That’s where it works, and I would encourage nursing mothers to be open to that conversation. Be patient and negotiate and you will reach a balance,” she adds.
Nigeria – a place where breastfeeding is the norm
Enobong trained as a nurse in Nigeria, where supporting breastfeeding mothers was a priority both in society and in the workplace. Her cultural background in Nigeria empowered her to seek support from her workplace in Ireland.
“Culturally, breastfeeding is the norm for feeding babies in Nigeria. Although there may be reasons why some mothers cannot breastfeed, that would mostly be circumstantial and rarely a first choice.
“The community would support a nursing mother and readily offer seats, drinks, free transportation, extra food at events and general comforts to breastfeeding mothers.”
Enobong explained that it is a policy in Nigeria for nurses who are breastfeeding mothers to be allowed a specific flexible working schedule.
“For example, they can start work one hour late and finish one hour early and are exempt from night shifts. From my experience, this really supports breastfeeding. Armed with that background, I sought a similar arrangement in my workplace in Ireland.”