Breastfeeding Counseling, Barriers and Facilitators of Lactation in the Military Community

Résumé du livre

Breastfeeding has been endorsed by many professional organizations as the ideal infant feeding method. However, the literature shows that many health care providers do not actively endorse and support breastfeeding in their practices. This comparative descriptive study was designed to explore the extent to which breastfeeding is being facilitated at one military facility. This study also describes the differences in facilitators and barriers between women who breastfeed their infants for four months, versus those who did not. Sixty-four women completed a six page questionnaire that was analyzed using SPSS for Windows. Sixty-five percent of the respondents reported their Health Care Providers recommended breastfeeding. Pediatricians and Nurse Practitioners were the most frequent source of breastfeeding counseling. All HCPs were rated as helpful or very helpful with respect to the counseling they provided. However only staff nurses and lactation consultants were found to be helpful with breastfeeding assistance. A low attendance of breastfeeding classes (23%) was noted, and 63% reported no arrangements were made for follow up breastfeeding support. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents initiated breastfeeding while 39% were still exclusively breastfeeding at four months. Barriers cited were lack of pre-pregnancy breastfeeding counseling, high incidence of breastfeeding moms receiving gift packs of formula, infants receiving formula supplements in the hospital, and mothers being advised to supplement with formula after discharge. Other barriers included frequent moves, lack of familial support, active duty status and working mothers complaining of not having time to pump. Facilitators cited were a high incidence of rooming in and feeding on demand, and respondents reporting a high degree of satisfaction with their in-hospital breastfeeding experience. Women whthan four months were less likely to recall discharge instructions and how to tel.