BREASTFEEDING AND WORK CONDITIONS
Batoul Khalifeh 
2022-08-29 🗀 Motherhood, 20 minutes
Career or child care? It’s an unfortunate dilemma faced by every working woman with a baby on the way.
Although Breastfeeding is a cost-effective public health intervention that reduces infant morbidity and mortality, breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation rates are disappointingly low.
Identified insufficient milk, fear of weight gain or breast sagging, pain, sleep deprivation, exhaustion, maternal employment, and more are usually some of the reasons for early breastfeeding discontinuation.
Although Breastfeeding is a cost-effective public health intervention that reduces infant morbidity and mortality, breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation rates are disappointingly low.
Identified insufficient milk, fear of weight gain or breast sagging, pain, sleep deprivation, exhaustion, maternal employment, and more are usually some of the reasons for early breastfeeding discontinuation.
The dual role of women between house and work
A woman often plays the dual role of a homemaker and a breadwinner. Therefore Achieving harmony in these two respective roles is nothing less than a battle for her. In addition to working outside her home, a woman has to juggle time-consuming tasks, breastfeeding her child. For that and for a working woman to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, and to continue breastfeeding for the next 2 years and beyond, a maternity leave of 6 months or more accompanied with appropriate support thereafter is necessary. Adequate leave and appropriate worksite facilities once the woman returns to work help mothers and babies be together, which is the first requisite for practicing breastfeeding.
Maternity leaves to all women from all sectors, one or more paid breastfeeding breaks, flexible work hours to breastfeed or to express breastmilk such as part-time work schedules, job sharing, Having baby care facilities near the workplace for mothers to be with their babies, Private r spaces in the workplaces, dedicated for women for expressing and storing breastmilk, etc. . And so is the provision of a clean work environment.
Women need the utmost support from family members, society, employers, co-workers, and superiors in terms of a positive attitude towards breastfeeding and understanding the work situation. Thus Women should be well informed of their rights on maternity entitlements.
All over the world, discriminatory laws continue to threaten women’s economic security, career growth, and work-life balance. In particular, the discriminatory current Lebanese Labor Code. Mandatory maternity leave was added to Lebanon’s Labor Code in 1994 and, at the time, gave women the right to take seven paid weeks off from work after giving birth, which was later extended to 10 weeks in 2014, While The International Labor Organization recommends the duration to be 14 weeks or more. However, this still falls short of the International Labor Organization’s recommended minimum of 14 weeks, as mothers and experts in Lebanon confirm that this is simply not enough time to bond with one’s baby or to be in the best state of mind to return to work.
All over the world, discriminatory laws continue to threaten women’s economic security, career growth, and work-life balance. In particular, the discriminatory current Lebanese Labor Code. Mandatory maternity leave was added to Lebanon’s Labor Code in 1994 and, at the time, gave women the right to take seven paid weeks off from work after giving birth, which was later extended to 10 weeks in 2014, While The International Labor Organization recommends the duration to be 14 weeks or more. However, this still falls short of the International Labor Organization’s recommended minimum of 14 weeks, as mothers and experts in Lebanon confirm that this is simply not enough time to bond with one’s baby or to be in the best state of mind to return to work.
You will be surprised to know that some women in the education sector are even required to sign a pledge promising that they will not get pregnant during a school year and, in some cases, those who give birth while school is in session have a shortened maternity leave.
Challenges that woking mothers face when going back to work after giving birth
Of course, working mothers returning to the office after birth face some unique challenges, as Office buildings are often out of date and do not include spaces designed for pumping. In addition to finding time to breastfeed, they must also work during childcare hours, requiring a more flexible work schedule. Whatever your unique challenges, know that you are not alone.
As women have become 50% of the workforce more and more offices have accommodated the dual income of the household. For breastfeeding mothers, this short leave period is proving hugely conflicting when it comes to the development of their newborn baby, as children should ideally spend at least three to six months with their mothers before being put in daycare. Though there is an option of longer unpaid leave for all mothers, the financial constraints of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities often take precedence over spending more time at home with the baby.
Moreover, Women in Lebanon frequently attribute early weaning to unsupportive work environments, Lack of privacy and adequate time to express breastmilk are cited as barriers. Other impediments include employers’ perception that the presence of infants in the workplace reduces mothers’ productivity, thus the regulations and other rules that bar children from the workplace, with a lack of child care close to the workplace to compensate for such rules.
The Difficulties that working women face in practicing breastfeeding are also increasing, as It becomes critical to build an enabling system that would allow combining breastfeeding and work. In this context, a maternity protection policy is vital for all women; a policy that should entitle all women to work with dignity, Creating Mother-friendly workplaces.
Gone are the days when the broom closet was the only location where working mothers could pump on the job. The question now is; How can we ensure that the workplace is breastfeeding and mom-friendly?
Gone are the days when the broom closet was the only location where working mothers could pump on the job. The question now is; How can we ensure that the workplace is breastfeeding and mom-friendly?
Well for that, several steps can be taken such as:
- Have a breastfeeding-friendly room, corner, or space in your workplace where mothers can breastfeed their babies or express milk.
- Ensure that there are refrigeration facilities for mothers to store breast milk if they are expressing.
- Support part-time work arrangements for breastfeeding staff.
- Make sure that your employees or employers know the legal rights of breastfeeding women.
- Show a positive attitude towards friends and colleagues that are breastfeeding mothers.
To Conclude, breastfeeding and returning to work can be hard, yes. But we hear this common rumor that women should stop breastfeeding as they are returning to work, to make their life easier and to be able to combine the 2 functions. Yet while we’re waiting on life to become easier and more facilitated for women, just a little planning ahead and commitment with appropriate guidance will make the breastfeeding and working transition smoother, as you’ll be able to be productive at your job while giving your child the health protection and nutrition he requires during his infancy. Think well about your decisions before actually taking any life-changing action!