Table 6 The influence of work-related factors on breastfeeding practices among working mothers
Theme | Sub-theme | |
|---|---|---|
Paid maternity leave | Breastfeeding breaks | |
Employment benefits | + paid maternity leaves for formally employed mothers | + legally required breastfeeding breaks for formally employed mothers |
- no guarantee for paid maternity leaves for informally employed mothers | - difficulty of utilizing breastfeeding breaks for mothers who work far from home | |
- potential financial burden during maternity leave for informally employed mothers | ||
Mother’s commute time | Proximity of family support | |
Commute time | - great distance from home and heavy traffic problems | + proximity and accessibility to family support for some informally self-employed workers |
+ proximity of workplace to home | ||
Space for lactation | Equipment for pumping breastmilk | |
Workplace environment | - lack of lactation rooms | - lack of basic equipment for pumping and storing breastmilk, such as electricity and refrigerator |
+ some public space can be used for breastfeeding and pumping, but privacy and hygiene are not always ensured | ||
Flexibility of work schedule | Stress from work | |
Labor intensity | + flexible work schedule allows some working mothers to breastfeed during the day | - heavy and stressful workload |
- special work requirements that impeded breastfeeding attempts | ||
- special work requirements such as night shift | ||