Learning Objective #1: Appreciate the underlying problems that are faced by working mothers in relation to breastfeeding practices

Learning Objective #2: Apply possible strategies or recommendations in order to help nurse respondents work more productively

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The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of working mothers who are nurses in Karachi, Pakistan regarding their breastfeeding practices. Phenomenological approach was used to study the breastfeeding practices of working mothers. Six hospitals from Karachi were selected; two hospitals were from private settings, two from semi private settings, and two from the government settings. Data was collected from twelve participants using unstructured formal interviews using the interview guide. The interviews were audio taped and transcribed by the researcher. Literature review and data analysis was done simultaneously. Themes were generated manually using the Colaizzi's seven stage process. A set of eight interviews was used to generate initial categories. Similar feelings, perceptions, or thoughts were given certain a color coding. Codes with similar meanings were grouped in order to acquire similar meanings from the participants and to make sense out of them. After color coding the researcher returned to each description and extracted the significant phrases or sentences which directly pertained to the study. The data was then organized into general categories and into sub categories; frequencies of each sub-category were sought out in order to make the final categories and to condense the categories to bring out the themes. Three themes emerged from the data. They were positive experiences, mediating health behavior, and negative experiences.