Barriers in continuing exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers in primary health care in the ministry of health in Al-Ahsa region, Saudi Arabia

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the first 6 months of a child's life by ensuring that the child receives only their mother's milk without adding any other food or drink, including water. Objectives: Assessing the obstacles that hinder the continued EBF of mothers working in primary health care (PHC) in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Al-Ahsa region. Method: In this analytic cross-sectional study, 280 mothers working in PHC, who were conveniently selected, answered a self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the barriers in continuing breastfeeding. Results: In the study, 69.5% (P = 0.006) of these respondents reported that an early return to work was the most common barrier that prevented continued EBF, followed by 66% (P = 0.009) who responded that an unsupportive working environment had prevented them from exclusively breastfeeding. Inadequate breast milk from the mother is an obstacle identified by 43.5% of the study participants (P < 0.001), and about 42.5% (P < .001) of the mothers in the survey stated that breastfeeding takes a lot of time from the mother's daily routine, so the time constraints are an obstacle to continued EBF. In addition, 96% of the study participants reported that working environments in the field of PHC did not contain suitable places to breastfeed or pump breast milk; 77.5% of responses stated there were also no facilities for storage of milk expressed during working hours. A working mother could not benefit from breastfeeding breaks during the workday in 96.5% of the cases studied, and 60% of the women attributed the reason to the existence of a strict work schedule within the work environment. Conclusion: Nearly half of PHC working mothers in Al-Ahsa were exclusively breastfed their infants. Early return to work, deficient breastfeeding work support, insufficient breast milk and lack of time were the major barriers to EBF. Lack of nursing breaks, lactation places, and expressed milk storing facilities inside PHCCs are the major work-related barriers to continuity of EBF.