Occupational therapists can assist clients in viewing breastfeeding as part of a broader routine of family social participation that strengthens attachment between mother and child.  

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Mothers who have traumatic childbirths or who give birth to a high-risk infant are more likely to experience poor maternal mental health, which can also impact the infant’s development (Briltz, 2019).  Occupational therapists can assist new mothers with mental health promotion through the bonding and shared space of the mother and infant during breastfeeding (Briltz, 2019).

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As a co-occupation of health management and maintenance, breastfeeding faces a significant amount of social stigma (Pitonyak, 2014).  Occupational therapists consider the environmental barriers that impact a mothers’ ability to breastfeed including “unsupportive societal views about breastfeeding; unpaid family medical leave for mothers who work outside the home; and lack of clean, private spaces to express breast milk in the workplace” (Pitonyak, 2014, p. 90).

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One of the ways that occupational therapists can advocate for new mothers is by consulting with the mothers’ workplace “to create a physical space for nursing or expressing breast milk or support the mother in advocating for time to express breast milk as part of her work routine” (Pitonyak, 2014, p. 90).

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“Mother–infant actions in feeding and eating have been described as...a constant interplay between two actors” (Pitonyak, 2014, p. 92).  Furthermore, defining breastfeeding as a co-occupation “assists in the characterization of breastfeeding as transcending eating, feeding, child rearing, and health management and maintenance occupations” (Pitonyak, 2014, p. 93).

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There is currently a lack of research regarding the role that occupational therapy plays in lactation services.  A reason for this may be the ambiguity within the profession’s definitions for feeding and eating.  Furthermore, the occupational therapy literature on feeding and eating has mainly addressed client factors and performance skills necessary for successful engagement in these occupations, an important role for occupational therapists; however, this focus often misses opportunities for broader support of mothers in activities such as breastfeeding by establishing performance patterns and modifying environments (Pitonyak, 2014).