KARACHI: International Breastfeeding Week 2026 commenced with an important discussion on the challenges faced by working mothers, especially journalist mothers who are breastfeeding, at a seminar organised by the Karachi Press Club in collaboration with Unicef on Saturday.

One’s heart went out to the mothers who shared the challenges they faced or still are facing balancing work with motherhood.

Mariam Hassan, young mother of a toddler and an infant, said that her baby girl was diagnosed as lactose intolerant so she could not feed her baby formula while at work herself.

“Pumping to refrigerate or freeze mother’s milk was not known here then so I had to keep my baby with me while working,” said the electronic media reporter.

She talked about how her team of driver, engineer and cameraman supported her by standing guard outside their DSNG van to give her privacy when she would be breastfeeding her baby inside.

Working women share experiences, social challenges of motherhood at seminar

Journalist Benazir Raz Soomro also shared how she found support from home when her husband changed his office timings for their baby.

“He was working during the day to be home to take care of the baby by the time I would go to my office in the evening. And if I worked during the day, he would go to office in the evening so that someone would always be there for our baby. Still, even at work I would constantly be thinking about my baby,” she said.

Dr Saira Saeed, Professor OBGY

Al-Tibri Medical College and Hospital and Isra University said that breast milk is important for the baby’s nourishment and growth but there are also a number of benefits of breastfeeding for the mother, which include reduction in chances of breast cancer or ovarian cancer, blood pressure control and better mental health.

“It also helps control postpartum depression and ovulation to help in contraception,” she said, while adding that health professionals should counsel mothers during pregnancy about the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby.

Dr Faria Arain, Senior Registrar at Koohi Goth Women’s Hospital, said that there are several misconceptions about breastfeeding that need to be cleared. “New mothers often discard the first yellowish milk whereas that milk is most nutritious and beneficial for the baby. Mother’s milk also helps gland development in babies and prevents stunting,” she said.

Prof Muhammad Khalid Shafi, Chair, National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group, Pakistan, who is also a part of the Sindh Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition Act, said that the infant mortality rate is going up in Pakistan.

“Health-wise our country is not doing so well,” he said, while pointing to various problems such as healthcare providers promoting baby formula instead of breast milk. “Formula is artificial. It is not milk. And just like no advertisements are allowed for medicine, there should not be any promotion for baby formula,” he said. “A law was also passed in 2023 where any healthcare provider promoting baby formula can get his or her practicing licence suspended or cancelled,” he said.

Child Nutrition and Development Specialist with Unicef, Dr Mazhar Iqbal said that every newborn deserves to benefit from environments that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

“Yet across the world, millions of families who want to breastfeed cannot, not because of lack of will but because the systems around them fall short. They must change now,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2026