Provisions for breast feeding mom during night shift as pharmacist

I searched for information on the Maternity Benefits Act issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India and found this one source: https://paycheck.in/labour-law-india/maternity-and-work/breastfeeding.

An in-depth review of this Act mentions that the duration of nursing breaks of 15 minutes each during working hours is sadly inadequate.
[read http://59.160.153.188/minaswaminathanarchives/sites/default/files/Breast-Feeding%20and%20Working%20Mothers-Laws%20and%20Policies.pdf].

What I would suggest is that you should check out the terms of your contract as an employee of a Central Govt. Hospital. Does it include any clause specifically for nursing mothers? What are the conditions governing night shifts? You can also request for creche facilities for lactating mothers to be able to nurse your baby during your night shift. Since it is a hospital, can they not arrange this? You can also enquire about the option of taking up night shifts when your child is older and does not require to be nursed. Further, the possibility can be explored of whether submitting a certificate from a GP would be helpful in opting out of the night shift temporarily for now.

Since you are a mother of infant, you cannot escape your responsibilities of a sensible mother including the breast feeding of your baby. You being a Pharmacist of a government hospital, you may approach the personnel department of the hospitals so as to be familiar with the different rules and provisions helping you for proper care of your baby. The following points are to be taken up with the bosses -
1) So long as the infant does not attain the age of two, you should be allowed to work in general shift only.
2) You may indicate how essential it is to have a bondage of mother and baby relationship for the first two year. Your stay at home along with your infant would fulfil the psycological needs of both mother and the child.
3) Look out for a crèche near your hospital where you could put your baby in day time so that you can feed your breast milk time to time in the general shift. Ask the owner of the crèche to provide a helper who will collect the bottles kept in the fridge of the pharmacy filled up with your milk. You need to procure their permission in this regard.
4) You may look for healthy mothers ready to offer her breast milk to your child. If you come across such a mother with an advertisement published in the local paper, you may keep her provided the remuneration, terms and conditions are acceptable to her.

As per the Maternity Benefits Act employers are supposed to provide breaks of prescribed duration for new mothers in order express breast milk for child. These breaks are available until the child reaches the age of 15 months. There is no specific mention of duration. It will be reasonable and as per the understanding.

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2017, passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016, passed by the Lok Sabha in March 2017. As per this law every establishment having fifty or more employees must provide the facility of creche. A woman worker will be allowed four visits to the creche in a shift.

Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India issued the following Guidelines in November 2018. As per these guide line
1. Children between the age 6 months to 6 years of all types of employees are to be allowed in the creche. For 30 employees on creche should be there.
2. The facility should be near the work place with in a distance of 500 meters.
3.One creche worker with a helper is to be employed for every 10 children aged below 3 years and for every twenty for above 3 years children.

You can request your boss to avoid night shifts for some time. But even day time also you have to feed your baby for that whatever facilities are to be provided those can be asked for. If there is no creche they should allow the child with you in your work spot.

In a 24 hour Govt pharmacy one cannot escape the night shift. Only thing clear is that as per the maternity rules you would be getting breaks to feed your child time to time. But that solely depends on how much far the pharmacy or the hospital is situated from your residence. If it is far off then it might not be practical to do so. Another important aspect is how many pharmacists are available for duty. If their number is sufficient which often happens in a Govt workplace then one can ask a favour for duty within the group for a period of say 6 months to 1 year till the child needs the mother milk. Another aspect is to request the management for this arrangement and offer oneself for night shift later for a longer time when other person needs a break from the night duty. Many times there are occasions when people working at a place can mutually help each other in this respect. As a special case they can post you for some office duty like record keeping, management etc for some time instead of shift duty and that of course depends on the management there.

In some of the places especially the big dispensaries there is some pattern like two evenings, two nights, two mornings and then two days weekly off in which case you can very well manage the schedules and would not be feeding the child only on those two days in a week. You have to personally find out it from the place of your posting.

As your child is already 9 months old, you can can follow some of the tips for the lactating mothers till your baby turns two:
i) Talk to your management or HR - Do not be afraid to speak to your manager or management or HR about having flexible work timings or having only morning /general shift as your child is small and need breastfeeding.

ii) Use breast pumps - Buy a good breast pump and put your baby into the habit of having pumped milk. Your husband, parents or caretaker can stored breast milk to room temperature and give it to your baby as and when required in your absense.

iii) Get child used to the bottle - Before joining your job, start feeding your child through a bottle and they will get used to it in your presence.

iv) Get child used to the child grandparents/ husband or caretaker - Before joining your work, start keeping your child with the people who will take care of him/her during your absense. This will help your child to mingle and be closed to them during your absence.

v) Breastfeed your child before leaving for work and as soon as you return home - Always make an habit to feed your baby before leaving and as soon as you return from work. This will help you and your child to have the best feeding and minimise bottled milk.

vi) Follow a schedule - It is always better to make a feeding schedule. This will help you and your child to adjust to the change and be free than make you child cry for milk. try feeding afet every 2 hours or more and this will help the people taking care of your baby during your absense to follow suit and even help them to give better care to your child.

Factories Act:
A women employee cannot be forced to work after 7 pm. If they work for overtime, only 2 hours is allowed to work. The company should provide a cab and must drop them at their doorstep after 7 pm. A security guard or associate male should accompany in the cab while dropping a female employee. The details of the cab should be sent to employees before their pickup time. The logo of the company should be present in the front mirror of the cab. The cab driver must wear his ID card which is given by the company. The women employees should not be asked to work on holidays as an only single person in the company and a team member must accompany the lady.

Maternity Benefits Amendment Act:
The maternity benefits act has increased its paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. Under this act, the women can be availed up to 8 weeks before the delivery date and the remaining 18 weeks can be taken post the childbirth. For those who are expecting after having 2 children, the paid maternity leave will be 12 weeks.
The Act extends the benefits to adoptive mothers and provides every woman to adopt a child will be given 12 weeks of maternity leave from the date of adoption.
The Maternity act has given Work from Home option for women who have expired their 26 weeks leave period. This condition depends on the nature of work which has been mutually agreed with the employer.
The Maternity act gives a crèche facility for all the organisations which employs more than 50 or more employees. The women employees will be permitted to visit the crèche 4 times a day.
The Maternity Act gives employers to make awareness about the maternity benefits given to the women employees and must educate according to their needs.