Table 3.
Experiences with breastfeeding support rooms among women (n = 53), Brazil, 2019–2020.
| Categories | Quotes |
|---|---|
| Positive points | |
| Allows continuity of breastfeeding | “[…] it enabled me to continue breastfeeding in my return to work at such a delicate and special moment in my life. […]” (M3); “[…] helped me maintain breastfeeding without having to introduce formula.” (M9); “Great experience. I used up my milk at lunchtime, so I was able to guarantee my babies would drink breast milk for a longer period” (M25); “The room enabled me to continue breastfeeding, and I did not have to introduce formulas to them. […]. Essential to maintain milk production and ensure milk when I was absent” (M29); “Very important to continue breastfeeding my daughter […]” (M41); “Very positive, because of it, I can allow my child to exclusively breastfeeding” (M47); |
| Contributes to the mother-child bond and well-being | “It was extremely important to my son's well-being […]” (M1); “It was extremely important to extend the mother and child bond” (M4); |
| Provides comfort and emotional well-being for the woman | “I felt welcomed by having a space prepared […]” (M3); “Very rewarding, my daughter did not consume any other milk/formula, only breast milk. […]” (M17); “Wonderful, I felt safe, happy […]” (M20); “I felt respected because after returning to my job, I was able to pump and feed it to the baby later and for the comfort during the working time” (M21); “It was wonderful, I felt welcomed, safe, cared for. Very calm” (M23); “Wonderful. It brought me peace to be able to continue breastfeeding my son. […]” (M27); |
| Comfort and physical well-being for women | “It was a relief. When my first daughter was born, I suffered so much, physically and psychologically, because I had recurrent mastitis and had no place or time to pump for relief. It was depressing. This time the much-requested room was available […].” (M8); “[…] A major benefit was being able to pump milk and avoid mastitis, which happened when I had my first daughter, precisely because I had no way to pump milk.” (M15); “Comfortably pumping milk and having a place to store it was fundamental to keep breastfeeding painlessly” (M18); “[…] I was relieved of swollen breast pain, especially by 4 pm.” (M27); “[…] The room was essential. […] Also, to relieve any discomfort throughout the day.” (M29); “Great! I overproduced milk, so I needed to pump, and having a proper environment made all the difference.” (M40); |
| Related to the proper quiet location and with all the necessary infrastructure | “[…] It is evident that every detail in this space has been thought out with great care. I am so thankful for it.” (M3); “ Wonderful. I had a quiet and private place where I could pump milk […].” (M9); “I had everything I needed. I wish I had used it longer.” (M14); “It was a very good, quiet, appropriate location. Good to have a place to store. […]” (M15); “[…] it was a comfortable and safe place where I could pump and freeze milk for my child every day. […]” (M41); “[…]. The option to have a suitable and private place, quiet, makes the moment more appropriate to pump milk.” (M51); |
| Allowed donation to the Human Milk Bank | “[…] I even managed to donate to the milk bank for over a year.” (M8); “[…]. For some time, I was able to donate breast milk” (M17); “[…] besides easing the process of donation to the milk bank” (M16); “[…] in addition to allowing me to donate milk” (M33); |
| Positive unspecified experiences | “Very important” (M2); “great” (M22); “Very good” (M26); “Great! Essential!” (M31); “It was great.” (M34); “Very good” (M47); |
| Difficulties encountered | |
| Distance from rooms | “[…]The only difficulty is that in the branch I worked […] the breastfeeding room was a 10-min walk from the place where I worked, adding up the time pumping, I ended up staying too long in there, plus the time to return to my workplace. Even though I was a manager, I was still embarrassed.” (M11); |
| Need to stop using the rooms due to the age of the child. | “Using the room was great, but due to company policy, I only had the right to be off work in the first month […]. I came back from maternity leave, plus vacation time, and my daughter was 7 months old, so by 8 months, I was forced to introduce formula (Suggestion: we should be free to use the room for as long as necessary for other activities… such as for example, a medical examination to ensure that breastfeeding resumes.” (M49). |