Addressing barriers to health: Experiences of breastfeeding mothers after returning to work

Breastfeeding mothers returning to work often feel exhausted as they must feed on demand and attend to family and employment responsibilities, leading to concerns for their personal health. This study was prompted by a desire to understand and identify barriers to mothers' health. We describe the experiences of 12 Iranian breastfeeding and employed mothers through in-depth and semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Two main themes emerged: (i) working and mothering alone and (ii) facing concerns about health. The findings highlight the need for a support system for breastfeeding mothers within the family and in the workplace. Family-friendly policies targeting mothers' and employers' views are needed to support working mothers and promote breastfeeding.

[1]  Heather M. Helms,et al.  Intensive Mothering Beliefs Among Full-Time Employed Mothers of Infants , 2016 .

[2]  S. Vitale,et al.  NURSES WORKING THE NIGHT SHIFT: IMPACT ON HOME, FAMILY AND SOCIAL LIFE , 2015 .

[3]  D. Creedy,et al.  Emotional well-being of Vietnamese immigrant women during the transition to motherhood: A descriptive cohort study. , 2015, Nursing & health sciences.

[4]  Mei-ling Wang,et al.  Work–Family Conflict and Job Performance in Nurses: The Moderating Effects of Social Support , 2014, The journal of nursing research : JNR.

[5]  A. Mansour,et al.  The Experiences of Employed Women Related to their Maternal Role: A Phenomenological Qualitative Research , 2014 .

[6]  J. Gray,et al.  Work-related quality of life of Ugandan healthcare workers. , 2014, International nursing review.

[7]  U. Kiran,et al.  Impact of Marital Status on Mental Health of Working Women , 2014 .

[8]  F. Rafii,et al.  Factors Involved in Iranian Women Heads of Household’s Health Promotion Activities: A Grounded Theory Study , 2013, The open nursing journal.

[9]  S. Nicholson,et al.  The Effect of Maternal Employment on Children's Academic Performance , 2013 .

[10]  Su-Ying Tsai.  Impact of a breastfeeding-friendly workplace on an employed mother's intention to continue breastfeeding after returning to work. , 2013, Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

[11]  A. Kalil,et al.  Mothers' night work and children's behavior problems. , 2013, Developmental psychology.

[12]  H. J. Streubert,et al.  Qualitative research in nursing , 2012 .

[13]  Valeria Skafida.  Juggling Work and Motherhood: The Impact of Employment and Maternity Leave on Breastfeeding Duration: A Survival Analysis on Growing Up in Scotland Data , 2012, Maternal and Child Health Journal.

[14]  Bjørg Karlsen,et al.  Readjusting one's life in the tension inherent in work and motherhood. , 2011, Journal of advanced nursing.

[15]  A. Moulton,et al.  Working mothers, breastfeeding, and the law. , 2011, American journal of public health.

[16]  B. Alexander,et al.  Balancing work and family after childbirth: a longitudinal analysis. , 2011, Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health.

[17]  V. Schmied,et al.  A meta-ethnographic synthesis of women's experience of breastfeeding. , 2009, Maternal & child nutrition.

[18]  N. Marshall,et al.  After the Baby: Work‐Family Conflict and Working Mothers' Psychological Health , 2009 .

[19]  F. Nahidi,et al.  Fathers’ Educational Needs about Perinatal Care: A Qualitative Approach , 2009 .

[20]  B. Alexander,et al.  Flexible work arrangements and work-family conflict after childbirth. , 2008, Occupational medicine.

[21]  U. Lundberg,et al.  Mothers’ Health and Work-Related Factors at 11 Weeks Postpartum , 2007, The Annals of Family Medicine.

[22]  Jason Schnittker.  Working More and Feeling Better: Women's Health, Employment, and Family Life, 1974-2004 , 2007 .

[23]  A. Norberg,et al.  Burnout and 'stress of conscience' among healthcare personnel. , 2007, Journal of advanced nursing.

[24]  G. Timmerman.  Addressing Barriers to Health Promotion in Underserved Women , 2007, Family & community health.

[25]  N. Esposito,et al.  Barriers and facilitators for breastfeeding among working women in the United States. , 2007, Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN.

[26]  V. Braun,et al.  Using thematic analysis in psychology , 2006 .

[27]  M. Killien.  The role of social support in facilitating postpartum women's return to employment. , 2005, Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNN.

[28]  S. Ahmad-Nia.  Women's work and health in Iran: a comparison of working and non-working mothers. , 2002, Social science & medicine.

[29]  E. Jones,et al.  Family Nursing: Research, Theory, and Practice , 1998 .