Workplace support, breastfeeding and health

Abstract

This paper aims to identify best-practice strategies for breastfeeding support in the Australian workplace. It uses data from Australian employers and their female employees who had initiated breastfeeding and returned to work. Our aims were to (a) identify key barriers to and enablers of combining breastfeeding with employment, including employment arrangements and workplace factors linked with exclusively breastfeeding for six months; and (b) explore the implications for maternal/child health and absenteeism of infant feeding practices among employed women.