Work Is The Biggest Cause Of Breastfeeding Cessation

Much has been said about the professional impediment that motherhood represents, however, despite the fact that every day many mothers find a way to get around their situation, work has become the biggest cause of breastfeeding abandonment. In other words, somehow, the role of mother is always affected by professional commitment, as it could harm the exchange in many ways.

A working mother needs her days to be longer and that life somehow facilitates two of her main roles: that of a mother and that of a professional. Despite the work benefits that a woman receives from motherhood, in a short period of time, the baby and his mother need to be separated; that is why it is difficult to breastfeed with the same regularity as in the first months.

Even though there are many reasons why breastfeeding is abandoned, the main reason is still work. Unfortunately, working mothers are disconnected from the precious bond to such an extent that it is difficult to get it back in the same way as before, even if the baby does not receive their milk.

Abandoning breastfeeding before six months

The baby’s exclusive food during its first months of life should be breast milk, however, many mothers are forced to abandon this process before the exclusive six-month period is fulfilled due to their professional commitments. It is estimated that at least 46% of mothers in Spain alone have given up breastfeeding before their baby has reached this stage, of which 62% of the reasons are work.

This statement is supported by the results of a study carried out by Suavinex Laboratories, especially focused on data on reconciling family and professional life and breastfeeding. Although all mothers who abandon breastfeeding prematurely wish to continue favoring their children through this process, not all of them can achieve this purpose in the way they wanted.

As we know, it is possible to extract and preserve breast milk to continue benefiting the baby with this food even when we are not with it; this is an alternative that is commonly used by working mothers, but that cannot last forever. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, breastfeeding allows children to receive most of their necessary nutrients and vitamins in their first phase of life; that is why it is convenient to continue administering the milk even through the bottle.

However, something that is definitely lost when the mother goes to work is the attachment that is created between them, as the important period of exteropregnancy is prematurely cut off. So, the abandonment of breastfeeding before six months is an inconvenience that can reflect on the baby’s physical and emotional health, something that can also accompany him into adulthood.

Measures that lead to the abandonment of breastfeeding

According to the report of the Conciliation and Breastfeeding Study,  more than 40% of Spanish babies do not receive feeding through this route during the time determined by the WHO; the most frequent cause being the professional issue.

More than half of the mothers interviewed admit having had difficulties in being able to breastfeed their child during their first year of age and more than 30% are not satisfied with the treatment received in their work environment, such as making changes to their work schedules and other benefits received with maternity.

In this sense, at least 43% of mothers of breastfeeding babies said they reduced their working hours to attend to their babies; but this decision represents a decrease in his salary and a regression in his evolution within the company. However, not all women in this situation are in a position to make these changes, and so they end up leaving the care of their children to someone else so as not to lose their professional progress.

Many other mothers become self-employed or move to posts in smaller companies, as in general the plan is to be able to care for their babies with more dedication and ensure breastfeeding first. Expressing milk is an alternative that 30% of the women interviewed chose and another 27% decided to breastfeed the baby only when they are not working; that is, we see that little by little the weaning process begins because of professional commitments.