Breastfeeding has important long-term health consequences, not only for infants, but also for mothers. Researchers have calculated that scaling up breastfeeding could annually prevent 823,000 child deaths and 20,000 breast cancer deaths worldwide. Because of the important effects of breastfeeding, the World Health Organization advises mothers to breastfeed for minimally 2 years. However, breastfeeding rates are low, especially in the western parts of the world. One of the most important reasons to discontinue breastfeeding is the often-difficult combination of breastfeeding and work. Research shows that many mothers don’t have access to a suitable space to express milk at work. For FM professionals it is crucial to realize that the availability of breastfeeding facilities is important for organizations too. Breastfeeding improves the health and well-being of infants and mothers, which leads to reduced sick leave and health care costs. Moreover, breastfeeding support at work can lead to higher job satisfaction, a better work-life balance, and can reduce staff turnover. Therefore, offering good breastfeeding facilities creates a win-win situation, benefitting mothers, babies, and organizations. Facility managers are in a unique position to secure a healthier work environment that makes combining work and breastfeeding easy and feasible. FM can make a change!
In the Netherlands the government advises mothers to breastfeed for six months or longer; however, only 51% of Dutch mothers still breastfeed at six months and many women do not maintain the practice for as long as they intended. This study examines how an existing intervention, the Breastfeeding Support Program (BSP), influences breastfeeding duration. Breastfeeding duration in the BSP group (n=67) was compared to a control group (n=73) by means of a quasi-experiment. The BSP consisted of a series of 6 consults delivered by lactation consultant, starting during pregnancy and continuing up until 10 weeks after delivery. Questionnaires for the pre-test and post-test were administered through the internet. A logistic regression was used to compare the BSP group and the control group on the percentage of women still breastfeeding (exclusively) at 6 months, while controlling for differences at baseline. Additionally an analysis was performed to produce an extra conservative estimate of the effects of the BSP.Controlling for differences at baseline, both the odds to still be breastfeeding at six months and the odds to still be breastfeeding exclusively at six months are 3.8 times higher for women in the BSP group than in the control group. The extra conservative analysis produced similar results, with the effects of the BSP still being significant. The BSP appears to be highly effective at increasing the odds of women to still be breastfeeding at six months and the odds to still be breastfeeding exclusively at six months.
Breastfeeding has important health consequences, not only for infants, but also for mothers (Victora et al., 2016). However, many mothers stop breastfeeding before the advised six month period. Research indicates that difficulties associated with combining work and breastfeeding are an important reason for mothers to discontinue breastfeeding prematurely (Peeters, Lanting, & Van Wouwe, 2015). One important issue in this respect seems to be that in many organizations a lactation room is either lacking or of poor quality. This study examines the relationship between objective and subjective lactation room quality, mood, relaxation, and behavioral determinants of pumping milk at work: attitude, social norms, perceived behavioral control and intention.First, an observation list was developed and pre-tested to determine objective lactation room quality. Then, 511 lactating women completed a questionnaire that included questions about objective and subjective lactation room quality, mood, relaxation, attitude, social norms, perceived behavioral control and intention towards pumping milk at work. Regression analyses showed that both objective and subjective lactation room quality is positively related to mood, relaxation, social norms and perceived behavioral control towards pumping milk at work. Notably mothers’ subjective experience of the room mediated the relationships between objective lactation room quality and mood, relaxation, and social norms and perceived behavioral control. The results of this study show that lactation room quality can potentially impact the process of pumping milk at work in important ways. It is important to further explore the causality of this relationship and its potential effects in experimental settings.
