Breastfeeding and the Working Mother: Barriers and Intervention Strategies

Abstract

Over half of all women in the United States currently participate in the labor force, and 41% of mothers in the labor force have children under one year of age. As more and more mothers of young children work outside the home, the need for more supportive breastfeeding policies at the worksite becomes quite evident. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization have noted that the work environment, in both policy and structure, is often not supportive of women who choose to breastfeed. This paper examines logistical, social, and political barriers to breastfeeding at the workplace. These include: insufficiently comprehensive maternity leave policies, lack of child care at or near the workplace, rigid time schedules that do not allow for nursing breaks, lack of a location providing privacy for breast-pumping, and no facilities for refrigeration of pumped breastmilk. Short and long-term solutions to help employers address each of these issues are outlined.