Expressing breastmilk while on break and in private: a qualitative study of Malaysian first-time mothers

ABSTRACT

Employment and breastfeeding among first-time mothers in Malaysia remain problematic, due, in part, to the lack of clear policies and policy implementation. This article, based on a phenomenological study utilising dyadic interviews with eight participants and twelve interviews, explores the experience of Malaysian first-time parents managing both breastfeeding and employment. The findings illustrate that although breastfeeding is considered a mother's responsibility and is regarded as the preferred and superior form of infant feeding, there is often no designated time or space for expressing milk, causing many participants to use their lunch or tea breaks for this purpose. While study participants describe themselves as feeling supported by their partners, families, colleagues, and workplace superiors to breastfeed at work, they must nonetheless manage the perceived contradiction between the lactating body and the ‘male working body’. For these participants, this entails deftly negotiating the demands of being a good mother with a successful performance of the good worker role. Future research implications include a focus on identifying the roles and possible roles of fathers in infant feeding, and guidelines around monitoring breastfeeding breaks and spaces for mothers at work.

KEYWORDS:

• Breastfeeding
• employment
• mother/worker identity
• qualitative research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The largest ethnic category in Malaysia are the Bumiputera, which includes several ethnic groups; Malay, Orang Asli, and Sabah and Sarawak natives. This study's participants are Malays. Even though Malay is considered an ethnic group in the Malaysian constitution the definition is not solely dependent on ethnicity but also includes practising Islam as a feature.

2 ‘Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is the mothers’ provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child and no father to his child. And upon the [father's] heir is [a duty] like that [of the father]. And if they both desire to wean through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them. And if you wish to have your children nursed by a substitute, there is no blame upon you as long as you give payment according to what is acceptable. And fear Allah and know that Allah is Seeing of what you do.’ (Quran, Baqarah, 233).

3 The study received ethics approval from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (HEC #20365, 2014).

4 Tawakkal is an Islamic concept that involves putting effort and making prayer into a course of action and then leaving the outcome to the will of Allah.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Majlis Amanah Rakyat Malaysia.

Notes on contributors

Sh Fatimah AlZahrah Syed Hussien Al-Attas

Sh Fatimah AlZahrah Syed Hussien Al-Attas is a Sociology academic at International Islamic University Malaysia. Her research interests include women, family, work, and phenomenology. She is currently working on a research project on Menstrual hygiene practices of urban low-income young women.

Rhonda M. Shaw

Rhonda M. Shaw is a sociologist at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Her research interests include the sociology of morality and the contribution of sociology to bioethics. Rhonda's research on organ donation and transplantation, assisted human reproduction, and breastmilk exchange has been published widely.