Breastfeeding in the Workplace

Author: Dr Pia Müller, IBCLC

Abstract

Breastfeeding is of major health importance and is socially desirable. In practice, however, breastfeeding women face considerable barriers when returning to paid employment. Although the Maternity Protection Act (“Mutterschutzgesetz”) in the Federal Republic of Germany explicitly provides for paid exemption from work duties for breastfeeding and protective regulations throughout the entire breastfeeding period, there is often a lack of consistent implementation in everyday working life. Organisational and infrastructural requirements pose challenges for employers, particularly when breastfeeding employees work in mobile settings, such as skilled trades, field-based roles or during business travel. Not infrequently, a health and safety leave during the breastfeeding period is imposed prematurely, without first assessing reasonable workplace adaptations, contrary to the provisions of Section 13 of the Maternity Protection Act. This results in disadvantages for the women concerned, in a reduction of breastfeeding duration, and in a shift of costs to the solidarity community. This article examines the legal framework in Germany, international influences and recommendations, including those of the National Breastfeeding Strategy (“Nationale Stillstrategie”), and illustrates how breastfeeding can be made compatible with everyday working life. It argues for greater awareness, the sharing of best-practice implementation examples from the workplace, and further legal development—particularly an extension of paid exemption from work duties for breastfeeding beyond the child’s first year of life.

Keywords: legislation, maternal leave, breastfeeding promotion, paid exemption, mandatory medical leave

How to cite: Müller P: Breastfeeding in the Workplace: Implementation Challenges and Perspectives under the Maternity Protection Act in the Federal Republic of Germany. Lactation & Breastfeeding 2026;1:04.

Author Information and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Dr Pia MüllerDr Pia Müller is an IBCLC, a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor with the German peer support organization AFS (www.afs-stillen.de), and the mother of five children. For AFS, she leads the working group “Breastfeeding and Employment”.
The author declares that she has no conflicts of interest or financial relationships with commercial products.
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