Work climate can affect working mums’ decision to breastfeed

Less than half of new mums returning to work are able to continue to breastfeed, according to a study led by Christiane Spitzmueller, associate professor of industrial organizational psychology at the University of Houston.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, looked at a data set of 859 women returning to work to see if their work experiences were predictors of their breastfeeding decisions.

Of the 859 women, just over 300 managed to continue breastfeeding for a year. However, only seven continued breastfeeding exclusively for the recommended six months.

"When women are at work they're perceived as employees and their career identity is the priority, rather than their identity as a woman and as a mother. When a woman needs to pump breast milk, that immediately emphasizes her maternal and non-workplace role as over her career role," Ms Spitzmueller said.