Returning to Work While Breastfeeding — What Are Your Rights in Germany?

For many mothers, returning to work while still breastfeeding brings a new layer of challenge (and I'm not even talking about the emotional ones): how to continue providing breastmilk while navigating the workday? The good news is, in Germany, you have legal rights that support you in doing just that.

According to § 7 of the Mutterschutzgesetz (MuSchG) (Maternity Protection Act), if you return to work within the first 12 months postpartum, you are entitled to:

1 × 60 minutes or 2 × 30 minutes of paid time each workday for breastfeeding or expressing milk. 2 × 45 minutes daily if breastfeeding or pumping is not possible at your workplace. These breaks must be paid and do not count as part of your lunch break.

Additionally, your employer is required to provide a quiet, private, and hygienic space for expressing milk. A toilet is not acceptable for this purpose.

If a suitable space isn’t available, or if your work conditions don’t allow for regular pumping breaks, you have the right to ask for modifications, which may include the option to work from home.

You can read the full legal text of § 7 MuSchG here:🔗 https://dejure.org/gesetze/MuSchG/7.html

As a lactation consultant, I support many mothers navigating this balance between work and feeding. If you're experiencing a drop in milk supply, feeling pressure, or unsure how to manage pumping at work, you're not alone and you have rights.

I recommend reaching out to me about 4 to 6 weeks before you go back to work. This gives us time to create a personalized plan that fits you, your baby, and your job. We can talk about how to build a freezer stash, prepare emotionally and physically, and set expectations that will help you succeed.

And if you’re already back at work and facing challenges, whether it’s with supply, pumping logistics, or communication with your employer, I’m here to support you too. It's not easy, I know. But you got this!