Understanding South African mothers' challenges to adhere to exclusive breastfeeding at the workplace: A qualitative study.
Nompumelelo Maponya, Zelda Janse van Rensburg, Alida Du Plessis-Faurie
PMID 34307784WHAT IT FOUND
Working mothers wanted exclusive breastfeeding but returned to work early for money, were denied breaks, and had no clean private place to express or store milk.
Some switched to mixed feeding or stopped, feeling anxious and embarrassed.
Key findings
01Mothers wanted to continue exclusive breastfeeding but financial pressure made them return to work sooner than they planned.
02Employers and co-workers did not support breastfeeding, and mothers were not given breaks to express milk.
03Some mothers described switching to mixed feeding or formula when they lacked clean, private space and safe storage.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study interviewed only eight mothers, all from Rustenburg, South Africa, so the findings may not apply to other districts, employment types, or mothers who did not want to continue exclusive breastfeeding. Only mothers were interviewed, so employers and co-workers did not describe their own views or constraints. Qualitative interviews describe experiences and themes. They do not show that workplace policies, breaks, or storage facilities caused mothers to stop breastfeeding or to continue exclusive breastfeeding. All participants worked full-time under the South African Basic Conditions of Employment Act and had babies under six months, so it does not speak to part-time, self-employed, or longer maternity leave situations.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests. No funding source or sponsor role is reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that workplace breastfeeding policies or breaks increase exclusive breastfeeding rates. The study interviewed eight mothers about their experiences and did not test an intervention or measure breastfeeding outcomes after policy changes.