Breastfeeding at Work

Studies show that women who have children are subject to an unconscious bias called “motherhood penalty,” in which others in their workplace suddenly view them as less committed AND less competent. A recent Blomberg report now details that women who choose to breastfeed also face a stigma that resulted in “more severe and prolonged earnings losses than mothers who breastfed for less [than six months] or not at all.”

This is a perfect example of the intersection of women’s career ambitions and societal pressure to be a “good mother.” Women who choose breastfeeding are subjected to a stigma that literally places their desire to feed their children in direct competition with their desire not to lose ground in their careers.