Breastfeeding Challenges among Career Mothers in A Low-Resource Setting: An Exploratory Study

Exclusive breastfeeding is essential for infant health; however, career mothers face challenges in balancing work and family responsibilities, leading to lower exclusive breastfeeding rates. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing targeted interventions and policies. This study aimed to explore the work challenges of exclusive breastfeeding among breastfeeding mothers. This study used a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to investigate the challenges faced by career mothers in exclusive breastfeeding. The majority of working mothers desired to practice exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Still, many deviated due to work demands, time constraints, lack of lactation rooms, limited maternity leave, and stress. The study concluded that working mothers desire to practice exclusive breastfeeding for six months due to its benefits, but workplace challenges, such as a lack of lactation rooms, inadequate maternity leave, and time constraints, may hinder them. Governments should ensure that maternity leave aligns with Exclusive Breastfeeding Feeding (EBF) practices.