By Dr Aliyyah Mohammad Khuzaini

As World Breastfeeding Week 2023 kicks off, a resounding call to action reverberates worldwide: “Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!”

This year’s theme aims to highlight the importance of supporting working mothers in their breastfeeding journey while breaking down barriers that often hinder their ability to provide the best nourishment to their infants.

Breastfeeding has long been acknowledged as a cornerstone of infant and maternal health, offering a myriad of benefits for both mother and child.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is critical for optimal growth and development, providing essential nutrients and antibodies to protect against infections and diseases.

However, despite the well-documented advantages, many working mothers encounter obstacles when attempting to balance their breastfeeding commitment with professional responsibilities. The conflict between work and breastfeeding has often resulted in early weaning, leading to potential health risks for infants and causing mothers undue stress.

Supportive and enabling environment

In line with this year’s theme, we should intensify efforts to create a more supportive and enabling environment for breastfeeding women in the workforce at every level.

The government, employers, parents, childcare facilities and the community at large should step up to ensure that the right measures are in place to make breastfeeding and work coexist harmoniously.

Firstly, mothers should be given a choice, and be encouraged to take longer maternity leave to protect breastfeeding, especially through the six months exclusive breastfeeding period. Stronger parental leave policies, protected breaks for breastfeeding or pumping and anti-discrimination laws for women who take career breaks for breastfeeding are essential steps in ensuring that breastfeeding while working is doable.

Secondly, a conducive environment for breastfeeding at the workplace should be created. Flexible working hours, working from home when appropriate and designated breastfeeding spaces and breaks should be supported by organisations to ease breastfeeding mothers.

Shared responsibility

In addition, the society must recognise that breastfeeding is a shared responsibility between both parents.

Fathers should take an active role in supporting breastfeeding, such as ensuring adequate breastfeeding supplies, managing other household chores while the mother breastfeeds, and take part in the cleaning, storing, and organising of breast pump parts daily.

As a society, we should empower and encourage fathers to engage with the breastfeeding process actively and alleviate the pressure on breastfeeding mothers. A breastfeeding-friendly culture is vital to initiate breastfeeding and persevere with it.

As World Breastfeeding Week 2023 progresses, we celebrate the strides made in creating a more breastfeeding-friendly world.

However, there is still much ground to cover. By combining advocacy, education, and supportive policies, we can empower working mothers to continue providing the best start in life for their infants through breastfeeding. Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work!

-- BERNAMA

Dr Aliyyah Mohammad Khuzaini is a Paediatrician, Medical Lecturer and Certified Lactation Counsellor with Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.