2016.04.21
Breastfeeding on return to work a challenge: survey
By Lee I-chia
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/04/21/2003644470
A survey showed that 30.43 percent of working women stopped breastfeeding once they returned to work.
Online recruitment agency 1111 Job Bank yesterday said its survey found that among women who had stopped the three main reasons were because they could not find time to express milk (42.53 percent), do not have a suitable working environment (31.03 percent) or were afraid it would affect work efficiency (28.47 percent).
About 60 percent of women who continued to breastfeed felt they were not able to express milk regularly enough, it said.
Shyu Ming-kwang (徐明洸), Taiwan Academy of Breastfeeding secretary-general and a National Taiwan University Hospital attending physician, said she has often heard patients say that the breastfeeding space at their workplace is too basic, or that they are too busy with work to find time to express milk.
For working mothers who continue to breastfeed, Shyu suggested that they express milk at least once every three hours to relieve the pain from engorged breasts, reduce the risk of mastitis and keep the nipples stimulated so more milk is produced.
The survey also showed that 67.71 percent of working mothers often feel physically tired and 36.98 percent even often feel extremely exhausted.
The job bank suggested companies help create a friendly work environment for breastfeeding employees and to try to understand the challenges they face.
Source: Taipei Timeshttp://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/04/21/2003644470
