Abstract
BackgroundIn order to meet World Health Organization recommendations for breastfeeding, many women need to combine breastfeeding with return to work or study. Barriers are often encountered when returning to work or study, which can lead to premature cessation of breastfeeding. This study aimed to explore Australian women’s experiences of breastfeeding at one multi-campus university.MethodThis paper draws on the qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study conducted between April and November 2017. An online survey was used to explore women’s experiences of breastfeeding at university. In total, 108 people participated in the survey. After the deletion of incomplete surveys, 79 staff and students survey responses were analysed. In-depth interviews were also carried out with 10 staff and students. Open text responses and in-depth interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe analysis revealed four themes. The first theme, University as a positive and progressive environment for breastfeeding, explores staff and students’ experiences of maternity leave, flexible work arrangements, and on-campus childcare, and their relationships with tutors, supervisors, managers and colleagues. The second theme, Finding private and safe spaces for breastfeeding, presents staff and students’ experiences of using designated rooms, car parks, corridors, classrooms, and offices to breastfeed and express breast milk, and their experiences related to storage of breast milk. The third theme, Feeling self-conscious and unprofessional, reflects women’s experiences of mixing their professional and personal lives, and feeling guilty for taking time out to breastfeed. The fourth theme, Developing resilience to judgement, captures women’s realisation that breastfeeding on campus requires the development of a “thick skin” and the capacity to not be offended easily.ConclusionsSustaining breastfeeding requires time and commitment on behalf of the mother, as well as a supportive workplace or study environment. Transforming university campuses into breastfeeding friendly environments is long overdue and requires organisational commitment to achieve genuine reform.
Highlights
In order to meet World Health Organization recommendations for breastfeeding, many women need to combine breastfeeding with return to work or study
The second theme, Finding private and safe spaces for breastfeeding, presents staff and students’ experiences of using designated rooms, car parks, corridors, classrooms, and offices to breastfeed and express breast milk, and their experiences related to storage of breast milk
The majority of the 79 survey respondents were born in Australia [66%], had spent one to 5 years at the university [53%], were no longer breastfeeding [63%], and had one [49%] or two [28%] children
Summary
In order to meet World Health Organization recommendations for breastfeeding, many women need to combine breastfeeding with return to work or study. In high-income nations such as Australia, the rates of breastfeeding, and the duration of breastfeeding, are significantly lower than in poorer countries [4]. This is a worrying statistic given that access to education, and health information, is higher in affluent countries [4]. There is limited Australian data on breastfeeding rates and return to work or study; recommencement of paid employment has been identified as having a significant impact on breastfeeding cessation for women in Australia [3, 11]
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