Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes of Managers, Coworkers, and Employed Breastfeeding Mothers
Document Type
Review
Publication Date
1-1-2008
Description
Employer attitudes and practices toward breastfeeding mothers are discouraging overall. Mothers who believe that breastfeeding while employed cannot be done without a considerable amount of additional work and stress may not even consider breastfeeding. Although it is known that lower income women tend not to breastfeed while employed, the relationship between type of employment and sustaining breastfeeding has not been clearly explained. Many women identify employment as a barrier to breastfeeding. Some elements of a workplace environment supportive of breastfeeding have been identified, including private space with a locking door (other than a bathroom stall), time to express milk at work, and adequate refrigeration. In relation to employers, monetary reasons (i.e., decreased productivity) are most frequently cited for not supporting breastfeeding. Only a small percentage of the research on employed breastfeeding mothers has focused on the workplace. Further research is needed to determine how breastfeeding can be beneficial to the mother, the infant, and the employer.
Citation Information
Stewart-Glenn, Jennifer. 2008. Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes of Managers, Coworkers, and Employed Breastfeeding Mothers. AAOHN journal : official journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. Vol.56(10). https://doi.org/10.1177/216507990805601004 PMID: 18983103 ISSN: 0891-0162