The impact of coworker support and stigma on breastfeeding after returning to work

Zhuang, Jie; Bresnahan, Mary; Zhu, Yi; Yan, Xiaodi; Bogdan-Lovis, Elizabeth; Goldbort, Joanne; Haider, Steven J.

doi:10.1080/00909882.2018.1498981

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Women sought to minimize disruption to coworkers by avoiding taking breaks or multitasking during breaks. This resonates with the findings reported in international studies (Soomro, 2015; Spitzmueller et al., 2018) and reflects a work culture, which views taking breaks as unproductive (Zhuang et al., 2018). Workplace apathy toward breastfeeding women is often due to a lack of knowledge about the complexities and emotional and physical labor of breastfeeding (C. Gatrell, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Corporeal generosity: Breastfeeding bodies and female‐dominated workplaces

Burns

Gannon

Pierce

et al. 2022

Gender Work & Organization

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While gender equality at work and the gendered parameters of workplace conditions are of interest to feminist researchers, this paper brings together sociological and public health perspectives to interrogate factors impacting women who return to work (RTW) while maintaining breastfeeding. Our inquiry is focused on female-dominated professions, teaching, nursing, and midwifery, and our findings suggest that breastfeeding obstacles exist even when gender-inclusive policies appear to support women. Workplaces generate both overt and subtle barriers to breastfeeding, which force many women to stop earlier than they intended or create ongoing worry about maintaining breastmilk supply. Interviews with participants who maintained breastfeeding after RTW generated three overarching themes: women's determination to get back into the workforce, not wanting to "rock the boat", and the difficulty in keeping their "head above water". Despite workplace policies that appeared to support breastfeeding, the workplace catered to a supposedly gender-neutral worker and policies did not translate into practice. Given the many sacrifices that women make to maintain breastfeeding, the level of workplace apathy was surprising, especially in female dominated professions. Our research foregrounds breastfeeding corporeality, not as excess but as an inevitable and essential feature of workplaces, which needs to be acknowledged and accommodated.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Corporeal generosity: Breastfeeding bodies and female‐dominated workplaces

Burns

Gannon

Pierce

et al. 2022

Gender Work & Organization

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“…Co-worker support can alleviate this stress (Loi et al, 2014) and improve subjective well-being (Kim et al, 2018). A study investigating the impact of coworker support and stigma on breastfeeding after returning to work study found that the absence of support is viewed as an expression of disapproval and coworker support affected lactating mothers' self-efficacy (Zhuang et al, 2018). In the context of LGB, the research found that social support from co-workers can help to alleviate LGB-related stressors (Meyer, 2003).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sexual identity disclosure dilemma for lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees in the Indian workplace

Lyndon,

Rawat,

Bhardwaj

et al. 2023

EDI

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the theoretical understanding of the disclosure dilemma experienced by lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees. The study focuses on examining the factors related to self-disclosure such as co-worker support and fear of disclosure. Further, the study also aims at testing the impact of coworker support on the psychological well-being of LGB employees.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a concurrent triangulation research design, which involves a simultaneous collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Using a survey questionnaire, data from 200 LGB employees were collected. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 LGB employees. The qualitative findings were treated as complementary to the relationship tested through the quantitative method.FindingsQuantitative results reveal that co-worker support positively impacts self-disclosure by LGB employees. And the fear of disclosure mediates the relationship between coworker support and self-disclosure. Further, self-disclosure is positively related to psychological well-being. The qualitative study brings insights from the lived experiences around these factors. This research expands knowledge about the factors associated with the disclosure of LGB employees.Originality/valueThe study examines the factors related to the disclosure of sexual identity and the experiences of the dilemma of LGB employees in the workplace. Most of the studies in the context of LGB have adopted a quantitative research design. The current study adopts a mixed methods approach with a concurrent triangulation research design.

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“…The present study has several limitations. First, like other studies of workplace breastfeeding (e.g., Balkam et al, 2011;Gabriel et al, 2020;Lisbona et al, 2020;McCardel & Padilla, 2020;Spitzmueller et al, 2016Spitzmueller et al, , 2018Whipps & Honoroff, 2019;Zhuang et al, 2018), breastfeeding data were based on mothers' self-reports. Future research will ideally include prospective and objective measures.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A behavioral economic demand analysis of mothers' decision to exclusively breastfeed in the workplace

Hayashi

Fisher

Hantula³

et al. 2022

J Exper Analysis Behavior

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The present study determined whether behavioral economic demand analysis could characterize mothers' decision to exclusively breastfeed in the workplace. Females, aged between 18 and 50 who have given birth in the past three years, completed a novel demand task with hypothetical scenarios, in which they returned to work with a 2-month-old baby. Participants rated their likelihood of breastfeeding their baby at a workplace lactation room versus formula-feeding their baby at their desk. The distance to the lactation room ranged from 10 s to 60 min. This assessment was conducted with and without hypothetical financial incentives for 6-month exclusive breastfeeding. Primary dependent measures were demand intensity and change in demand elasticity, which could conceptually represent initiation and continuation of breastfeeding, respectively. Demand for breastfeeding was more intense and less elastic (i.e., more likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding) among mothers with an experience of 6-month exclusive breastfeeding and under the condition with the financial incentives. The novel demand task can potentially provide a useful behavioral marker for quantifying mothers' decision to initiate and continue exclusive breastfeeding in the workplace, informing workplace policy regarding lactation rooms, identifying risk for early cessation, and developing and individualizing an intervention to assist mothers to exclusively breastfeed in the workplace.

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The impact of coworker support and stigma on breastfeeding after returning to work

Cited by 15 publications

References 59 publications

Corporeal generosity: Breastfeeding bodies and female‐dominated workplaces

Corporeal generosity: Breastfeeding bodies and female‐dominated workplaces

The sexual identity disclosure dilemma for lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees in the Indian workplace

A behavioral economic demand analysis of mothers' decision to exclusively breastfeed in the workplace

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