"You want to go back to work straight after maternity leave? Then you probably won't breastfeed?" I've heard this statement from almost everyone I've spoken to about my return to work. And every time, my listeners were astonished by my answer. First of all: Breastfeeding is a very sensitive topic and a very personal matter. This report is not intended to be a judgement on breastfeeding or alternatives or the timing of returning to work, but simply to show one possibility of how working and breastfeeding can work if you want to do both. I'm writing this report because I personally have had few reports to draw on.
Legal basis
The legal basis for breastfeeding and working can be found in the Maternity Protection Act and the Workplace Ordinance. First of all, it is important to know that even after returning from the standard eight-week maternity leave after the birth, the same maternity protection continues to apply as when the pregnancy was announced. This also includes the following points:
1. The employer must release a woman from work for the time south africa consumer email list required to undergo examinations within the framework of statutory health insurance benefits for pregnancy and maternity. The same applies to a woman who is not insured under statutory health insurance.
2. During the first twelve months after childbirth, the employer must grant a breastfeeding woman the time she needs to breastfeed, but at least twice a day for half an hour or once a day for one hour. If the working hours are continuous for more than eight hours, the woman must be granted two breastfeeding periods of at least 45 minutes at her request, or, if there are no breastfeeding facilities near the workplace, one breastfeeding period of at least 90 minutes. Working hours are considered continuous if they are not interrupted by a rest period of more than two hours.
In addition, according to maternity protection, a pregnant or breastfeeding woman may not work more than 8.5 hours a day.