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Breastfeeding and Returning to Work

9 October 2024

Breastfeeding is of great importance, particularly when you return to work and your infant goes into a nursery.

  • If you plan to return to work half a year after giving birth, it is important for you to focus in the first months after giving birth on establishing breastfeeding. If you need help, this is the time to consult the nurse at the family health center or the lactation consultant on breastfeeding and returning to work. You should find out in advance whether it is possible for you and your infant to meet for breastfeeding sessions during the day. If not, you can pump milk and let your infant have your milk from bottles with the help of the nanny or nursery staff.
  • If plan to return to work more than half a year after giving birth, your infant will naturally need less breast milk, and this can make your return to work a little easier for both of you. From the age of six months, it is normal to add supplementary foods to your infant’s menu, meaning that you can breastfeed in the morning before parting, when you meet again at noon and at night. There is no reason for concern – your body will adjust to the new routine within a few days.
  • Daycare centers and family nurseries can look after and feed your infant with pumped breast milk. You should explain to the staff how to keep the milk and the actions to be taken to use it in the best way. Read the guidance on storing and thawing breast milk.
  • As a worker returning from maternity leave you have rights – first and foremost you are entitled to a parenting hour (breastfeeding hour) in which you can breastfeed or pump milk.

Returning to work after giving birth can be challenging. Being apart from your infant, alongside adjustment to a new routine and the wish to continue breastfeeding is not easy for many women. However, most women who wish to breastfeed when returning to work can do so. The Ministry of Health recommends breastfeeding exclusively until the age of six months, and continuing along with supplementary food up to the age of two and even later.

To succeed in combining work and breastfeeding, it is important to be ready in advance with a number of significant things, such as a nursery for your infant, and an arrangement for breastfeeding hours with your employer (parenting hour) or pumping during the workday. If plan to pump milk during the day, you should have a quiet, pleasant corner where you can do so unhindered.

The importance of breastfeeding particularly when you return to work

  • Continuing to breastfeed when you return to work will help you and your infant cope with the changes emotionally and physically.
  • Studies show that suckling infants develop a strong immune system and are ill less. When you return to work and your infant begins a nursery, breastfeeding continues to protect them from viruses and infections in daycares and kindergartens, and you can lose fewer workdays because your child is off sick less.
  • Breastfeeding protects you too – breastfeeding women are healthier.

For further reading on the importance of breastfeeding for you and your infant

So how does one prepare for returning to work? What are your rights at the workplace as a nursing mother? And what should you know about pumping milk during the workday?

For you to be able to return to work outside of home and continue to breastfeed your infant, it is important for you to focus on establishing breastfeeding during the first days after giving birth. Established breastfeeding is painless, free-flowing and comfortable for both of you. If you have not reached established breastfeeding yet, it is important for you to consult a family health center nurse lactation consultant about breastfeeding and returning to work.

When you are at work, it is advised for your infant to get pumped breast milk, and you can breastfeed them when you meet again later during the day.

For further reading on pumps and breast milk pumping

If you choose to finish breastfeeding and start feeding your infant with infant formula, you will be able to do so but you should start before you return to work, to accustom your infant to the new feed.

If you return to work outside of home when your infant is half a year old, they will naturally need less breast milk, which may make your return to work a little easier for both of you. From six months’ age, you can add supplementary foods to your infant’s menu, meaning you can breastfeed in the morning before saying goodbye, when you meet again in the afternoon and at night. Also, if you pump milk, you can gradually reduce the frequency of pumping, which will make it easier for you.

First steps toward returning to work

No matter when you decide you want to return to work, you should do it in the right way and in a number of calculated steps, to make the experience easy and pleasant for you and for your infant.

  • 1
    Finding a nursery for your infant

    • If your mother or a nanny helps you, and she is a reasonable distance from your workplace, you can consider having her arrive with your infant at your work so that you can breastfeed.
    • It is worth finding a setting that is breastfeeding and pumped milk friendly. Also, you can try to find a daycare close to your workplace, rather than close to home, so that you will spend less time apart and can add quick visits. Or look for a job or a learning institute that has settings for the children of staff or students.
    • Your infant should start nursery a few days before you return to work. This way both of you can adjust to the new routine and you can be available should they have any difficulty. These are big changes and it is important that they occur gradually.
    • Tip: you can add to your infant’s bag a garment belonging to you, so that they can smell them during feeding in their nursery.

    Everything you should know about storing and thawing breast milk

  • 2
    Expectation setting with the workplace

    • Update your employers in advance of your wish to continue to breastfeed as much as possible and pump milk during worktime. Make sure that you have a private place to breastfeed or draw milk, in a quiet, pleasant corner.
    • A gradual return and flexible work hours will help you get back to work more easily, particularly at the beginning. You can find out with your employers about gradual, flexible returning.
    • You should return to work in the middle or towards the end of the week (Wednesday or Thursday) so that you can draw conclusions from the first day of work and better plan the ensuing week.
    • The weekend is an important time to rest, for bonding with your infant anew, after two days of change and being apart for several hours at a time.

  • 3
    You have rights as a breastfeeding employee

    • By law, whether you are breastfeeding or not, pumping milk or not, you have a right to be away from work for an hour a day, for 4 months from the end of maternity leave (if you are employed full time).
    • This absence is in addition to ordinary breaks you are entitled to by law. These breaks must not be deducted from your work time.
    • If you come into contact with hazardous materials in your work (such as lead, cadmium, organic mercury and their derivatives), you should find out the employment restrictions during breastfeeding. The Teratology Institute can provide information on telephone: 02-5082825, Sunday to Thursday, 09:00 to 14:00.

    For further information on parenting hour on the Kol Zchut Website

  • 4
    Milk pumping

    • You should start pumping at least two-three weeks before you return to work, to get used to it and practice the pumping process, and to accumulate an initial stock of milk that will give you peace while you are at work.
    • If your infant is not experienced in bottle feeding yet, you should start offering them a bottle or a cup of pumped milk in the weeks before returning to work (approximately 10 ml from the store pumped for the day or of the type of milk you’ve chosen for them while you are at work). You can let them play with the bottle while they are not hungry to accustom them to its appearance and feel.
    • If you pump milk, you can let someone else feed your infant so that they get used to eating with someone else too, particularly before they start nursery.
    • Does your infant refuse to drink from a bottle? It is normal. It is important to be patient, respect their refusal and avoid pushing the bottle teat in to their mouth against their will. You can try again later.

    For further reading about pumps and breast milk pumping

Pumping and storing breast milk at work

  • Find yourself a quiet corner where you have privacy and a chair, table and power outlet, if you use an electric pump.
  • Keep the pumping process hygienic: hand washing with soap and storing the milk in clean containers.
  • You should check in advance whether there is a refrigerator at the workplace. If not, you can use a cooler box with ice packs.
  • The number of times you pump during the workday depends on your infant’s age, the frequency you breastfeed at and how much you can free time for pumping.
  • To make pumping easier, when you and the infant are apart, before pumping you can gently massage your breasts, imagine or look at pictures of your infant and smell a garment that they wore.
  • The pumping time at work may be approximately 15-20 minutes. A double sided pump may shorten the process.

For reading about pumping and storing breast milk

Breastfeeding at home and during weekends

  • You should provide your infant’s first meal in the morning before going out to the nursery by breastfeeding. If you can breastfeed on the one hand and pump milk on the other, this can save you time.
  • Ask the daycare staff not to feed your infant shortly before it is time to pick them up. It is likely that at this time your breasts will be fuller with milk and combining the meeting after the workday with breastfeeding is a good way to reconnect.
  • During the weekends and holidays, you can and should go back to your ordinary breastfeeding routine and nurse your infant upon demand, leaving the pumping routine to workdays. Remember to pump another bottle on Saturday night for the next day, if needed.

Behavioral changes after your return to work

Your infant may find it difficult at first. Every infant behaves differently. Some infants react with behavior that may be interpreted as “regression” or a temporary stop in their development – this is normal, and there is no reason for concern at first. Other infants may cry or refuse to suckle at the end of the day, whereas others will want to suckle more often, including at night, and stay near you longer. It is important to remember that every reaction is legitimate and will resolve over time, as you both adjust to the change. Understanding and acceptance of such behavioral changes will help them resolve and will help you worry less.

If these reactions persist longer than reasonably expected, or something feels wrong or bothers you, you can consult family health center nurses.

If you are a student, it is likely that you will resume studying about half a year to two months after birth. This is a very short time, and to maintain breastfeeding, you should try to keep your infant next to you as much as possible. If you can bring your infant with you to the academic institution, use a babysitter who will come with you to your study place or use a family nursery or nanny nearby, this will help a lot.

Students who wish to continue to breastfeed while resuming studying have rights:

  • The place of study must provide a specific room on every campus for comfortable breastfeeding. This room should be with a comfortable sitting place, with a power outlet, refrigerator, changing surface and sink with water nearby.
  • Every place of study has regulations on students’ rights after giving birth. You can demand that these regulations apply during the breastfeeding period too.
  • Expectation setting with the place of study: check whether there are lessons you can take online, whether you can bring your infant with you and whether there is a nursery or nanny at the place of study.
  • You should know: the place of study should publish information on materials that are used in laboratories that may be risk factors for breastfeeding mothers. If you are unsure about this, do not be shy to ask. And if you are required to be near these materials in your place of study, you are entitled to defer your participation in laboratories and your academic duties to a later date.

On any subject related to breastfeeding you can consult the staff at a family health center, or call the family health hotline *5400, extension 9.

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