Inspector speaks openly about her return to policing as a new mother

Combining motherhood and work after having a baby can be tough for a new mother.

And due to the nature of policing, it is often assumed the job might be difficult to fit around family life.

But those who have chosen to breastfeed their children are supported to be able to continue long after returning to the frontline if they wish to do so.

As part of Response Policing Week, Inspector Katie Ellis has candidly spoken of her experiences of breastfeeding following her return to work.

Whilst on maternity leave, she was promoted to Patrol Inspector, working on response policing.

“After being told I had been successful, I was not only returning to work as an Inspector, but also as a new mother,” she said.

“My little boy was 10 and a half months old at the time and at that point, I was doing a combination of breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

“Due to being in an operational role, I needed to balance feeding with working different shift patterns, so I was able to express during work, and keep the milk in a suitable fridge to take home.

“I was also able to apply for a specific uniform that has amendments, which made me feel comfortable on the day of the promotion interview and gave me the confidence and ability to perform at my best."

Before returning to work, Inspector Ellis was contacted by her Chief Superintendent who discussed how the force could accommodate her returning to work and the requirements of the new role.

“I had a supportive supervisor and mentor who kept in touch with me whilst I was away from work and who helped me when I needed it,” she said.

“I also feel lucky to have a considerable amount of family support that allowed me to return back to work full time, but I also know that flexible arrangements were available to me too if I needed them.”

Inspector Ellis told how she “naturally stopped breastfeeding” when her baby was around 12 months old.

She added: “I’m really pleased that I was supported so that my breastfeeding experience wasn’t cut short by returning to work.”

North Wales Police is committed to creating a supportive working environment for families.

This includes keep in touch (KIT) days whilst away from work, a parent and carer support network, maternity and paternity mentors, flexible working opportunities, and other workplace amendments.

Response Policing week recognises the vital role of our response officers who keep our communities safe to make North Wales the safest place to live, work and visit in the UK. This week we are sharing stories from our front-line officers about their careers using #ResponsePolicing.

We are now recruiting police officers to join #TeamNWP. Apply to start a career like no other on our website.