From Policy to Practice: Women's Experiences of Breastfeeding-Friendly Worksites, Part 1

Abstract

IntroductionBreastfeeding-friendly worksites are associated with longer breastfeeding durations, yet currently there is a dearth of research exploring women's experiences of workplace-based wellness programs designed to support continued lactation.MethodUsing semi-structured interviews with a voluntary sample of participants from one rural New England town (N = 18), we examined women's experiences of returning to work at worksites with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Worksite Health ScoreCard (HSC) “breastfeeding-friendly” designation.ResultsFive key themes emerged from participants' narratives; three policy and workplace climate-related themes are described.DiscussionCollectively, findings indicate areas where HSC lactation-support questions might be modified to more precisely identify the psychosocial, structural, and sociocultural needs of breastfeeding employees.