Supporting breastfeeding officers and staff when they return to work

3 June 2025

PC Lauren Somerville - Cleveland Police Federation’s new Treasurer - has spoken about how she’s supporting breastfeeding officers and staff when they return to work after maternity leave.

Lauren featured on BBC Look North at the end of last week.

When Lauren was pregnant with her son Ben, now aged 20 months, a special room was being set up in her station where pregnant workers and breastfeeding mothers could rest. It is a legal requirement for employers to have a designated area for this purpose, which should have somewhere comfortable to sit or lie down, and be hygienic and private for women to express milk if they choose to.

Lauren said: “In my station, the room was being set up when I was pregnant. So it became a personal thing, and my colleagues made it a really lovely room. I was spoiled with that room! But there are lots of other great rooms that have been set up in different stations in the force.” 

When her son was three months old, Lauren started doing Keeping In Touch (KIT) days at the station. She recalled: “My mum brought my son to me at the station and I fed him in the breastfeeding room. My sergeants were absolutely amazing about supporting me. 

“From speaking to mums who are in other jobs and haven’t had such good experiences, Cleveland Police are really good at what they've done for mothers who want to breastfeed when they return to work. I was looked after very well with all of my needs when I returned from my maternity leave, especially around breastfeeding. I felt very lucky.”

Lauren is now doing all she can to ensure that other returning mothers have a positive experience. She said: “I’m part of the Cleveland Police Women's Network, and when I came back from maternity leave I mentioned that I'd become quite involved with breastfeeding support and had done a course with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM). 

“They asked me if I’d be willing to help new mothers within the force, if they had any questions or issues. I'm really happy to take on that role, because it's a massive part of my life now, and it's so important to me.”

Meanwhile Lauren is also taking on a breastfeeding ambassador role outside of work, with Middlesbrough Council’s Family Hubs.

Lauren didn’t have an easy start to breastfeeding, as Ben had a tongue tie, but she got a huge amount of support from her local Family Hubs. She said: “They have baby groups and breastfeeding groups and all sorts of other support. A local theatre comes to put on sessions, and there’s a crafting for wellbeing session and a baby massage course that I went on. It was a huge part of my and my son's life at the beginning, I was there three or four times a week at different courses or classes, it was amazing.”

Now Redcar Family Hub has named Lauren as one of their ‘Mamazing Mams’, treating her to a makeover and photoshoot. The Mamazing Mams will be featured in local media and on posters around the region, aiming to encourage local families to talk openly about parenthood and breastfeeding and to seek the support they need.