| Theme 1: Knowledge about the legislation and breastfeeding support benefits | Theme 2: Perceptions and experiences of breastfeeding in the workplace | Theme 3: Barriers to breastfeeding continuation | Theme 4: Recommendations to improve breastfeeding support at work |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pregnancy [sub-themes] | • Knowledge about maternity leave uptake. • Poor knowledge about breastfeeding breaks. • Optimal knowledge about benefits of supporting breastfeeding. | • Breastfeeding considered a private and personal matter. • Support dependant on managers’ personal values and experiences. | • Absence of conversation about breastfeeding. • Confusion on who is responsible for initiating breastfeeding support conversation at work. • Manager’s gender consideration on breastfeeding support. • Lack of instrumental support at work. | • Raise awareness about the maternity support legislation. • Have a workplace breastfeeding policy. • Provide instrumental support. • Breastfeeding specific social support to be provided. |
Maternity [sub-themes] | • Optimal knowledge about benefits of supporting breastfeeding. | • Breastfeeding considered a private and personal matter. • Early breastfeeding cessation. | • Stress associated with transitioning back to employment. | • Raise awareness about the maternity support legislation. • Extension of maternity leave. • Breastfeeding specific social support to be provided. |
Return to work [sub-themes] | • Poor knowledge about breastfeeding breaks. • Optimal knowledge about benefits of supporting breastfeeding. | • Difficulty expressing at work. • Early breastfeeding cessation. • Breastfeeding considered a private and personal matter. • Support dependant on managers’ personal values and experiences. | • Absence of conversation about breastfeeding. • Confusion on who is responsible for initiating breastfeeding support conversation at work. • Manager’s gender consideration on breastfeeding support. • Influence of job characteristics. • Stress associated with transitioning back to employment. • Lack of instrumental support at work. | • Have a workplace breastfeeding policy. • Provide instrumental support. • Extension of maternity leave. • Breastfeeding specific social support to be provided. |