Silent struggles of working-class breastfeeding mothers

In view of World Breastfeeding Week, which begins on August 1 and ends on the 7, Daily Trust on Sunday spotlights the challenges and experiences of breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.   As we strive for gender equality in the modern workplace, one critical challenge that continues to persist is the plight of breastfeeding mothers. […]

In view of World Breastfeeding Week, which begins on August 1 and ends on the 7, Daily Trust on Sunday spotlights the challenges and experiences of breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.

 

As we strive for gender equality in the modern workplace, one critical challenge that continues to persist is the plight of breastfeeding mothers.

Despite significant strides towards creating a more inclusive work environment, many women still find themselves navigating a complex web of obstacles when trying to balance their maternal responsibilities with their professional aspirations.

Breastfeeding is a natural and essential aspect of early motherhood, providing optimal nutrition and numerous health benefits for infants.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding along with complementary foods up to two years or beyond. Yet, the reality for many working mothers is far from conducive to maintaining this crucial practice.

One of the primary challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers is the lack of proper accommodations in the workplace. While some countries have laws mandating employers to provide dedicated breastfeeding spaces, the implementation and enforcement of such regulations remain inconsistent.

Many working women find themselves struggling to find a private and hygienic space to express breast milk or breastfeed their infants during their workday. The absence of suitable facilities not only hampers their ability to breastfeed but also leaves them feeling marginalized and unsupported in the workplace.

Speaking to Daily Trust, Emmanuella Nwabuwah who works in a bank, said that due to the lack of a convenient space at the office or anywhere close by, she has to drive back home every day at 12pm to go feed her child.

Mrs Nwabuwah also stressed that because she’s used to feeding her child every two hours, she also suffers from engorgement and is always in pain because her breasts are heavy with milk.

She said; “The office rules do not accommodate breastfeeding mothers to come with their new-borns and nannies to the office because they believe that it will be a distraction for the mother.

“Coupled with how difficult things are and because there’s no convenient space around the office, I’m forced to use the one hour of my break time to rush home and feed my child and then come back to work. Some days I’m in so much pain because I’m used to feeding my child every two hours and because I can’t, my breast will be heavy with milk until I’m able to express it with my baby pump.”

Mrs Nwabuwah complained that companies do not create policies to cover the needs of breastfeeding mums, especially those that are new mums.

Chiamaka Egbe also complained to Daily Trust that even though she has been able to create a schedule that works for her, the lack of convenient rooms for breastfeeding mums at her place of work poses a threat to the growing female workforce.

She said; “During my first pregnancy, it was a struggle having to balance my maternal duties alongside my duties at work. In fact, I made up my mind that my first child will only suckle for two months and would switch to a bottle when I resumed work.

“However, during my second pregnancy, I was able to accumulate my annual leave days for the year which is 30 working days and added it the three months maternity leave granted pregnant women, which allowed me to breastfeed exclusively for three months.

“Currently I have to use my breast pump to express milk and keep for my child at home. Luckily, I get work from home days which also gives me the opportunity to breastfeed him at home. But then again, it’s still a big issue for me because I was really hoping to breastfeed for four to five months.”

Asides the issue of lack of convenience, some breastfeeding mothers often face disapproving glances or negative comments from colleagues and supervisors when trying to meet their lactation needs which not only damages their self-esteem but also creates an unwelcoming atmosphere that discourages other women from pursuing their careers while raising a family.

Deborah Effah mentioned that although she is able to breastfeed her child at her staff break room, it’s still not convenient enough as most people are often uncomfortable when women breastfeed in public.

“I used to bring my child alongside the nanny to my office and keep them in the staff break room till I close. Whenever I wanted to breastfeed my baby, I would have to tell the staff that I was going to breastfeed so that they wouldn’t run into me and feel uncomfortable, especially the male staff,” she said.

However, Effa mentioned that she had to stop breastfeeding at her office because some of the staff preferred to eat around the time she was opportune to breastfeed and she often felt that she was inconveniencing them.

“I’ve had one of my male bosses send the secretary to tell me to hurry up my breastfeeding as he wanted to be served lunch and was hurrying to a meeting. One time, my baby woke up and was crying which posed as a disturbance to the office. There were other similar scenarios that had occurred whenever I was breastfeeding in the breakroom which made me feel uncomfortable.”

Another hurdle faced by breastfeeding mothers is the pressure to maintain work productivity while balancing their maternal responsibilities.

The expectation to return to full-time work immediately after maternity leave can be overwhelming for new mothers who are still establishing their breastfeeding routines. The need to pump milk multiple times a day, coupled with potential sleep deprivation, which can lead to fatigue and stress.

Mrs Nwabuwah said that since returning to work, the lack of empathy from her colleagues is appalling as they expect her to perform her duties at full capacity despite her new responsibility as a mother.

She said; “striking a balance between my job and being a mum hasn’t been my easiest feat. The pressure from my bosses to meet up with KPIs has been so draining, coupled with having to go home to take care of my baby – feed him, bath him and put him to sleep.

“I have no time for myself because when I’m done with the baby, I still have to pump milk that I’ll leave for him the next day. I have to check and make sure there’s food at home, some nights my child won’t sleep till about 1am and I have to be up by 6am and be at the office by 8am.”

Mrs Nwabuwah said that what hurts the most is that although her boss is female, there is no compassion from her.

Mrs Effah also said that after resuming work, many of her colleagues felt at ease throwing assignments at her despite the fact that she just returned from giving birth.

She said; “It was as if they were all waiting for me to resume. On the first day of resumption, as opposed to leaving at 3pm like I planned to, I had to stay till 5.30pm because of the assignments given to me which were to be treated with urgency. It wouldn’t be the first time as the same situation happened at least two more times.”

Mrs Effah also recalled a scenario where her boss had complained about her delivery of work and told her that she needed to sit up as she wasn’t the first woman in the office to give birth.

Although this may not affect the majority, Daily Trust notes that some breastfeeding mothers are likely to face career setbacks as some often find it hard to manage their duties and fall back on their performances.

Faith Ajunwa told Daily Trust that she had missed a promotion in her office because she was rated as not fit enough for the position.

She said; “It was barely a month after I returned from giving birth that a position for deputy supervisor opened up at work. It wasn’t until I wanted to apply that HR advised me not to because my department had already complained about me not performing at maximum capacity.

“With the way things are looking right now, it will take maybe another year or two before such a position opens up again and by then, the people I started work with will be ahead of me.”

On the issues of regulating policies that support breastfeeding mothers in the workplace, David Ekpe who is an HR consultant said most companies are not likely to create convenient rooms for breastfeeding mothers because they believe the child’s presence will be a distraction to the mother and in some cases, to the office at large.

He said; “In my experience, I’ve noticed that many companies are more likely to find alternatives for breastfeeding mothers rather than offer facilities that can aid the mothers.

“They’d rather present a more flexible work arrangement for the mothers such as shorter working hours or reduced number of work days, because they do not want to bear the brunt of maintenance or have the mothers shuffling between responsibilities. If there’s one thing they fear the most, it is to have a child crying or making noise at work.”

“In some cases, some offices lack the space to create such convenience which may result in the company extending maternity leave for their female staff.”

However, Ekpe said that to achieve true gender equality in the workplace, organizations and even the government must address these barriers head-on.

“Implementing and enforcing laws that guarantee suitable lactation spaces and flexible work arrangements for breastfeeding mothers is a crucial step that must be taken by companies and firms. Additionally, promoting a culture of understanding, respect, and support for breastfeeding in the workplace can go a long way in fostering a more inclusive work environment.

“Employers, too, must recognize the value of investing in breastfeeding-friendly policies and facilities. Providing lactation spaces and offering flexible work options not only boosts employee morale and productivity but also helps retain valuable female talent in the workforce.”