Background: Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition, enhances immunity, and fosters mother-child bonding. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond. However, working mothers often face challenges in sustaining breastfeeding beyond six months due to workplace and sociocultural barriers.

Objectives: This study explored the perceived struggles and strategies of working mothers in sustaining breastfeeding beyond six months after resuming work.

Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted among 16 working mothers (12 nurses, 4 nursing faculty) in a tertiary hospital in Andhra Pradesh. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews using a purposive sampling technique. Interviews were transcribed, translated, and thematically analyzed with the aid of ATLAS. ti software.

Results: Six major themes emerged: (1) workplace support and flexibility, (2) balancing work and breastfeeding responsibilities, (3) motivation and emotional commitment, (4) expressing and storing breast milk, (5) coping strategies for continuation, and (6) barriers leading to discontinuation. Supportive supervisors, family involvement, and maternal determination facilitated continuation of breastfeeding, whereas inflexible duty schedules, lack of lactation spaces, reduced milk supply, and separation from infants were key barriers. Mothers expressed both resilience in adopting coping strategies and distress when breastfeeding was discontinued earlier than desired.

Conclusion: Sustaining breastfeeding beyond six months among working mothers is influenced by an interplay of workplace policies, family support, and maternal coping mechanisms. Strengthening workplace lactation support, extending maternity leave, and enhancing awareness among families and employers can bridge the gap between breastfeeding intentions and practices.