Bhubaneswar, August 5: For many women, returning to work after childbirth marks a new beginning. But for breastfeeding mothers, it also signals the start of a constant balancing act—meeting professional commitments while ensuring their babies continue to receive the nourishment and comfort of breast milk.

During World Breastfeeding Week, the stories of working mothers shed light on the often-overlooked challenges of sustaining breastfeeding after resuming work. Long office hours, demanding schedules, the absence of dedicated lactation rooms, and the emotional strain of being away from their infants make the journey far from easy.

For Suryasnata Bohidar, an Advocate, returning to work was one of the most challenging phases of motherhood. Determined to continue breastfeeding, she had to meticulously plan her day around feeding and expressing milk.

"Going back to work didn't mean I wanted to stop breastfeeding. It simply meant I had to work twice as hard to continue giving my baby the best possible nutrition," she says.

Like many working mothers, Bohidar often found it difficult to take breaks for expressing milk amid court schedules and professional responsibilities. Despite the challenges, she remained committed to ensuring her baby received breast milk.

The struggle is familiar to Milan Rout, an officer in the Horticulture Department and mother of a six-month-old daughter. She says unexpected meetings and work commitments often disrupt her routine, making it difficult to maintain a regular breastfeeding schedule.

"There were days when I skipped pumping because of back-to-back meetings. I constantly worried about my six-month-old daughter's feeding schedule and whether my milk supply would be affected. Still, I never miss feeding my daughter. I store breast milk before leaving for work or take time to go home and feed her whenever possible. Sometimes it becomes difficult when an urgent meeting comes up," Rout says.

Health experts emphasize that workplace support plays a crucial role in helping mothers continue breastfeeding. Flexible working hours, adequate maternity leave, private and hygienic lactation rooms, and understanding employers can make a significant difference in ensuring mothers achieve exclusive breastfeeding goals.

For Seema Sahu, who works in the hospitality sector and is the mother of a seven-month-old boy, balancing work and breastfeeding requires constant coordination and determination.

"Every workplace should understand that supporting breastfeeding mothers isn't a favour—it's an investment in the health and well-being of both mother and child," she says.

Working in a hotel presents its own challenges, she explains.

"It's a different work environment, and it isn't always easy to get permission to leave and feed my baby. I try to finish my work early and request my colleagues to manage things while I'm away. My son has only recently started complementary feeding, and breast milk is still his primary source of nutrition, so I make every effort to continue breastfeeding," she adds.

As the world marks World Breastfeeding Week, these mothers' experiences highlight an important reality: continuing breastfeeding after returning to work is possible, but it requires determination, family support, and, most importantly, supportive workplaces. Creating breastfeeding-friendly work environments is not merely a welfare measure—it is an investment in healthier mothers, healthier children, and a more inclusive workforce.