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Table 1 Emerging themes and sub-themes on breastfeeding at work experiences across maternity phases in the provincial government sector

From: Experiences of workplace breastfeeding in a provincial government setting: a qualitative exploratory study among managers and mothers in South Africa

 

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.