Meta-ethnography of the Breastfeeding Experiences of Women in the Workforce

To provide a conceptual understanding of the breastfeeding experiences, challenges, and support needs of women in the workforce.

PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO.

We included reports of primary qualitative studies that were published from 2014 to 2024 in which researchers described the breastfeeding experiences of women in the workforce. We selected 13 reports for inclusion with a combined sample size of 188 women aged 20 to 48 years.

We extracted the following data from included studies: methodological characteristics (sample size, qualitative design, data analysis, data collection, and length of interview), demographic characteristics of participants (country, age group, employment setting/type, nature of work, and length of paid leave), direct participant quotes, and key concepts and themes about the breastfeeding experiences of women in the workforce.

Using a published method for meta-ethnography, we synthesized the extracted data and identified four overarching themes, each with three subthemes: Juggling Milk and a Paycheck (subthemes: Torn Between Desk and Cradle, The Balancing Act, and Milk on the Clock), The Emotional Dance of Motherhood (subthemes: Hearts Full, Minds at Ease; Shadows of Exhaustion; and Against the Odds), The Village in Question (subthemes: Whispers and Judgments, Absent Anchors, and Hands That Hold), and The Policy Pendulum (subthemes: Written But Not Real, Clocking Out From Care, and When Care and Career Collide: Influence on Work). These themes and subthemes highlighted logistical challenges, inadequate workplace policies, the importance of supportive environments, women's emotional stress, and women's resilience.

Our findings indicate that structural, emotional, social, and policy-related factors shaped the breastfeeding experiences of the participants in the included articles. We emphasize the need for targeted interventions and workplace policies to optimize breastfeeding experiences and outcomes among women in the workforce.