Fed rep and first-time-mum on a mission to improve working environment for new parents

1 August 2023

A Nottinghamshire Police Federation representative who is currently on maternity leave is on a mission to ensure private spaces are easily accessible across the Force for parents needing to express breast milk.

New mum Lorna Hodgkinson is using World Breastfeeding Week, which launches today (Tuesday 1st August), as an opportunity to discuss the importance of having space in the workplace for officers and staff to express breast milk when they return to the job after having a baby.

The police officer who recently became a mum after giving birth to her daughter nine months ago is working with the force’s welfare team to ensure there is a list of expressing rooms - also welfare rooms - available for parents who need to pump.

“Times are changing, it is no longer acceptable - not that it should ever have been acceptable - for people to feel they need to go to their car or into a toilet cubicle to express milk,” said the 34-year-old sergeant, who has been in the Force for more than a decade.

“More mums are returning to work - it’s no longer the ‘norm’ for mums to have a baby, and then become a stay-at-home mum. The workplace should be doing whatever it can to make that transition easier. After all, it’s difficult and emotional enough going back to your job after maternity leave.”

New mum and sergeant, Lorna Hodgkinson

Lorna continued to explain how having the ability to express milk comfortably is also essential for health reasons.

“If a mum who has been expressing milk or breastfeeding returns to work and there is nowhere for them to pump, they might feel forced to stop. This could lead to serious health issues, including mastitis - which can result in a person being hospitalised,” she continued.

As well as raising awareness of the rooms available to them, Lorna is also wanting to help expectant, as well as new parents in relation to knowing their rights and what support is available. 

She said: “Honestly, I think Nottinghamshire is one of the better forces when it comes to having the right policies and procedures in place for parents. However, as a Federation, I want to hold line managers and the Force accountable if they aren’t ever providing that support. I want to raise awareness of the rights new parents have - because I had no idea, I’ve had to find everything out for myself.

“Plus, I want to educate line managers and supervisors who might be unsure about the processes and where to find the right information. Having conversations around breastfeeding and expressing with your supervisor can be really challenging - I want to make those conversations that bit easier.”

Since becoming a parent, Lorna has also become a member of the National Police Breastfeeding Group an online support network for parents in policing.

She ended:  “I would encourage anyone breastfeeding or thinking about breastfeeding to join the group.

“It’s really nice to connect with fellow officers who are in the same position as me. It can be a really lonely world on maternity leave.

“I’ve learned a lot during my time off and I know I will be a better line manager for it, I’m coming back with a better understanding of how I can support my team and colleagues who are expecting a baby or returning to work following maternity and paternity leave.”

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