Provision of integrated breastfeeding corners at workplace: perception of working mothers

Abstract

Despite the benefits of breastfeeding, only 65% children are exclusively breastfed in the urban areas. Also, there has been an increase in the women workforce of Bangladesh and family disintegration; thus, working mothers have had less opportunity to breastfeed on demand especially if workplaces do not provide with adequate support. This mostly forces mothers to leave their infants at home or leave their job instead. Considering the significance of integrated breastfeeding corners at workplace, the key purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perception of working mother in terms of accessing integrated breastfeeding corners at workplace. The qualitative study was conducted in Dhaka city with purposively selected participants and followed in-depth interview method to collect and analyze the data. From the responses of the working mothers, findings indicated that if there was no such supportive environment for breastfeeding at workplace, then working mothers might have to leave their work or choose between their work and child. It also found that mothers working at the garments sector are benefitted more than the working mothers at private sectors. The study recommended that workplace-based policies should be reviewed, and feasible framework and guidelines should be developed for better implementation of the policies.