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 | ||
“+” means positive factors; “-” means negative factors