Working woman or nursing woman — you choose

KARACHI: Every workplace should have a facility where working women can breastfeed their babies, said former Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary-General Dr. Shershah Syed.

It should be mandatory for every practice, the obstetrician added. “Our country is in no way women-friendly or mother-friendly. We’re not doing enough to help women lead normal lives,” lamented Dr. Syed.

He spoke to Bol News about the shortage of sickrooms and daycare centers in corporate organizations across Pakistan.

These organizations reportedly provide an environment in which working women who are mothers often feel deprived of the basic facilities they need to make up for the double shift. This forces them to either feed their babies formula milk or simply quit their jobs.

Among many of these working women is Waliya Wajih, 28, who completed her MBBS at Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC).

Wajih got married right after finishing her senior year; After her marriage, she resumed her house job at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. “When my daughter was born, I was at the end of my houseman training. But I was only able to take one month of maternity leave as I only had three months left to do my house job.”

Wajih recalled turning down the hospital management when she asked to be granted three months of maternity leave, which is a basic right of expectant mothers in most organizations. “Instead of giving me my maternity leave, the workplace management told me they would give me three months of unpaid leave and they would deduct my salary during that time,” she revealed.

The Maternity and Paternity Leave Act 2020 provides that women are entitled to paid maternity leave of six months when the first child is born, four months when the second child is born and three months when the third child is born, in all public and private establishments.

However, the paramedic told a different story. She claimed that despite these laws, employers do not live up to them in word and spirit. “We mothers shouldn’t feel guilty just because we want work and family together,” said the young doctor.

“Our society is seeing a gradual increase in the number of working women. Therefore, necessities such as daycare and nursing rooms should be provided in the workplace so that women can continue their careers and are not forced to waste their potential at home,” she also said.

“After I finished my house job, I took a break from work to take care of my child; It’s been three years now and I still haven’t been able to resume my career,” she lamented.

Referring to other female doctors and the lack of daycare, Wajih said, “My colleagues would have their husbands drop off their children in the middle of office work, and the mothers would breastfeed their babies in the doctor’s room. Some would even breastfeed in their cars,” she lamented.

dr Zubaida Qazi, President of the Pink Pakistan Trust, stated that breastfeeding is essential not only for infants but also for the health of the mother. “Unfortunately, the benefits of breastfeeding are still unaware of the benefits of breastfeeding among our general public due to a lack of education and awareness. Even if they are aware of it, society does not support or facilitate mothers.”

dr Qazi added that work-oriented women in their late 20s are now either feeding their babies formula milk or are being forced to “sacrifice” their careers simply because they have to breastfeed their child, among other important chores, while raising their baby.

About women leaving their jobs, Dr. Syed, who is also President of the Pakistan National Forum on Women’s Health (PNFWH): “This should not be a reason for women to quit their jobs. But unfortunately, employers are not willing to keep workers who move out to breastfeed. We don’t promote breastfeeding just because of this misogynist attitude,” he lamented.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

dr Aimen Yunus, a pediatrician at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), revealed that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life – with continued breastfeeding with complementary feeding for up to two years of life – provides protection against infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, Celiac disease, cancer and other chronic diseases that could potentially prevent mortality and morbidity.

dr Yunus, who is also a mother to a six-year-old, added that a breastfed infant doesn’t even need water for the first six months because breast milk is 87 percent water.

However, research conducted by Shela Akbar Ali Hirani, Senior Instructor at AKUH School of Nursing, found that in Pakistan, the decline in women breastfeeding their children is due to the growing proportion of working women and the lack of breastfeeding support in the workplace is due.

The National Nutrition Survey (2018) found that only 45.8 percent of infants received breast milk within an hour of birth. Likewise, the practice of exclusive breastfeeding was only 48.4 percent in 2018.

“Breastfeeding mothers have a lower risk of ovarian and breast cancer, two of the leading causes of death in women,” said Dr. Yunus.

Echoing her views, Dr. Syed: “Breastfeeding is the most important step in the first minute of a baby’s life. It should be able to start suckling as soon as possible after birth and last at least two years.”

He claimed it was great for the mother too, emotionally and physically.

Many reputable organizations in Karachi do not have a nursing room for female staff within the organization. When Bol News contacted these employers, some of them claimed they were in the process of developing such facilities, while others did not respond.

An employee of a lubricants company claimed, on condition of anonymity, that there was no day care at the organization and the local human resources department felt there were too many legal paperwork they had to complete in order to provide a nursing room. “Besides, there’s no room for it in the building.”

Amun Siddiqui, 27, gave birth to a little boy three years ago. She was reportedly at the peak of her career and doing exceptionally well. As such, she didn’t want her baby to become an “obstacle to her growth.”

She breastfed her child for three months while on maternity leave. But after returning to work, she switched to formula milk for her baby as there was no breastfeeding room in her organization. The office where she works does not offer daycare or nursing facilities, although there are several young women working there who could benefit.

When Bol News contacted her employer regarding the company’s breastfeeding policies and facilities, officials declined a request for comment.

“I remember my son getting sick a lot after I started giving him formula milk,” Amun recalls.

The AKUH pediatrician revealed that formula milk is widely used by working mothers. However, she stated that even housewives prefer infant formula to breast milk because of the portability.

according to dr Syed is nothing like breastfeeding. “The infant formula is never good for the baby. It is indeed dangerous, expensive and can cause many health problems,” he warned.

Pakistan introduced a Breastfeeding and Child Feeding Protection Regulation in October 2002 to restrict the advertising of infant formula. The regulation prohibits the marketing of infant formula as a substitute for breast milk. Health workers are prohibited from accepting gifts or samples from the milk formula companies and should encourage breastfeeding, according to the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association.

Wajih spoke about the convenience of giving formula, noting that the majority of women she knew give formula to their babies because it’s “effortless to give.”

“It’s easier for mothers to manage while breastfeeding is relatively difficult and tedious, but the benefits are long-term,” she explained. “Fortunately, I never had to see a doctor because although my child became ill, it was mild enough to be treated at home, and the same is true of some mothers I know who have breastfed,” said the KMDC graduate.

according to dr Qazi, breastfeeding significantly boosts a child’s immunity. “The first milk produced by a mother, colostrum, is slightly yellow in color and rich in nutrients. It is best for producing antibodies in the baby, especially in times of coronavirus,” she said. “Unfortunately, mothers throw away this milk for lack of awareness,” added the President of the Pink Pakistan Trust.

dr Qazi said expectant women should receive advice and training on breastfeeding from doctors and nurses throughout their pregnancy.

according to dr Syed is already providing guidance and advice on this with the Pakistan National Forum on Women’s Health. “We promote breastfeeding at PNFWH, all the midwives we train in Pakistan are specially trained to promote breastfeeding,” he said, adding, “We run breastfeeding campaigns every now and then to encourage mothers protection.”

according to dr Yunus health organizations need to launch campaigns about the importance of breastfeeding, which should also involve the child’s father and grandparents.

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2022/01/23/working-woman-or-nursing-woman-you-choose/