This undated file photo shows would-be mothers learning how to breastfeed babies at a public health care center in Daejeon, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Women in charge of both work and child-rearing are struggling with consistent breastfeeding.
A joint research team from Chung-Ang University Hospital and Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong conducted a survey of 175 female employees at a local medical institution who had given birth to a child in the last five years, in which 61.7 percent (108 people) worked as daytime staff, 19.4 percent (34 people) in double shifts and 18.9 percent (33 people) in triple shifts.
Among the respondents, 112 experienced difficulties breastfeeding their babies after they returned to work, 77.7 percent of whom (87 people) blamed it on a lack of time because of work.
Another 73.2 percent (82 people) blamed it on the lack of a proper place and environment for breast pumping.
Prior to childbirth, 85.7 percent (150 people) planned on breastfeeding their babies, while 91.4 percent (160 people) were actually able to breastfeed their babies for more than 30 days.
During the rooming-in period after childbirth, mothers tended to breastfeed their babies for longer durations.
The data showed that 93.3 percent (111 people) of 133 mothers who roomed in with their babies after childbirth had breastfed their babies for more than 30 days.
Among those who did not room in (14 people), only 71.4 percent (10 people) managed to breastfeed their babies.
Sorted by the type of work shift, 88 percent (95 people) of daytime staff, 94.1 percent (32 people) of staff on double shifts and 100 percent (33 people) of staff on triple shifts were able to breastfeed their babies for more than 30 days.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
