Taking the path of least resistance: a qualitative analysis of return to work or study while breastfeeding

Abstract

Background In order to meet World Health Organization recommendations for breastfeeding, many women need to combine breastfeeding with return to work or study. Barriers are often encountered when returning to work or study, which can lead to premature cessation of breastfeeding. This study aimed to explore Australian women’s experiences of breastfeeding at one multi-campus university. Method This paper draws on the qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study conducted between April and November 2017. An online survey was used to explore women’s experiences of breastfeeding at university. In total, 108 people participated in the survey. After the deletion of incomplete surveys, 79 staff and students survey responses were analysed. In-depth interviews were also carried out with 10 staff and students. Open text responses and in-depth interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results The analysis revealed four themes. The first theme, University as a positive and progressive environment for breastfeeding , explores staff and students’ experiences of maternity leave, flexible work arrangements, and on-campus childcare, and their relationships with tutors, supervisors, managers and colleagues. The second theme, Finding private and safe spaces for breastfeeding, presents staff and students’ experiences of using designated rooms, car parks, corridors, classrooms, and offices to breastfeed and express breast milk, and their experiences related to storage of breast milk. The third theme, Feeling self-conscious and unprofessional , reflects women’s experiences of mixing their professional and personal lives, and feeling guilty for taking time out to breastfeed. The fourth theme, Developing resilience to judgement, captures women’s realisation that breastfeeding on campus requires the development of a “thick skin” and the capacity to not be offended easily. Conclusions Sustaining breastfeeding requires time and commitment on behalf of the mother, as well as a supportive workplace or study environment. Transforming university campuses into breastfeeding friendly environments is long overdue and requires organisational commitment to achieve genuine reform.

Experiences of workplace breastfeeding in a provincial government setting: A qualitative exploratory study among managers and mothers in South Africa

“…Furthermore, the study ndings suggest that immediate supervisors of pregnant and breastfeeding women (more so than senior management) should be champions for change. Existing research shows that immediate supervisors have greater autonomy to control the day-to-day utilisation of resources and implementation of policies and to restructure the work time and place to meet employee needs compared to senior managers who are more distant from employees daily activities [39,40,43]. As a result, formal breastfeeding at work programs without supervisor support have been shown to result in poor uptake of work-family bene ts [44].…”

“…As a result, formal breastfeeding at work programs without supervisor support have been shown to result in poor uptake of work-family bene ts [44]. Similarly, research shows that mothers thought empathetic supervisors would ease their stress and enable access to maternity bene ts, reducing the pressure placed on them to initiate conversations about workplace breastfeeding [43].…”

Experiences of workplace breastfeeding in a provincial government setting: A qualitative exploratory study among managers and mothers in South Africa

“…Furthermore, the study ndings suggest that immediate supervisors of pregnant and breastfeeding women (more so than senior management) should be champions for change. Existing research shows that immediate supervisors have greater autonomy to control the day-to-day utilisation of resources, to implement policies and restructure the work time and place for meeting employee needs, compared to senior managers who are more distant from employees' daily activities [25][26][27]. As a result, formal breastfeeding at work programs without supervisor support have been shown to result in poor uptake of work-family bene ts [46].…”

“…As a result, formal breastfeeding at work programs without supervisor support have been shown to result in poor uptake of work-family bene ts [46]. Similarly, research shows that mothers thought empathetic supervisors would ease their stress and enable access to maternity bene ts, reducing the pressure placed on them to initiate conversations about workplace breastfeeding [26].…”

“…Current workplace breastfeeding literature is mostly from high income countries [24][25][26][27]. Research from low and middle-income countries in the Global South are lacking in providing a contextually rich understanding of employed mothers' breastfeeding practices and salient forms of support to advance breastfeeding at work.…”