Mothers Discontinue Breastfeeding in Two Months After Facing Post-Partum Difficulties

Mothers discontinue breastfeeding after facing emotional difficulties and other challenges, a latest research reveals.

The researchers at the Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of California Davis Medical Center found that mothers who have trouble with breastfeeding in the initial stage of motherhood are 10 times more likely to abandon it.

According to the study, mothers who expect breastfeeding to be an easy task are unable to cope with initial problems such as less quantity of milk and attachment problems. This results in them just giving up on breastfeeding their babies.

The researchers studied 523 new mothers and found that around 92 percent faced difficulties in breastfeeding just three days after delivery. They conducted six separate interviews for the participants during beginning of the pregnancy, then on three, seven, 14, 30 and 60 days after delivery. On interviewing the moms, the researchers received thousands of concerns and problems over breastfeeding.

"Breastfeeding problems were a nearly universal experience in the group of first-time mothers in our study, with some of the most common problems also being the most strongly associated with stopping breastfeeding," lead study author Laurie Nommsen-Rivers, PhD, a researcher in the Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center said in a press release.

Around 52 percent of mothers suffered from 'infant feeding' problems and breast behavior of the baby in which the infant fails to 'latch on' properly. Other 44 percent experienced pain while breastfeeding and rest 40 percent had trouble with the quantity of the milk.

"Priority should be given to enacting strategies for lowering the overall occurrence of breastfeeding problems and, in particular, targeting support for mothers with infant feeding or milk quantity concerns within the first week after leaving the hospital," Nommsen-Rivers said.

She also said that mothers who admitted to breastfeeding problems on third and seventh day of interview showed most signs of discontinuing nursing their babies.

"This may be related to the fact that these interviews captured a time when there is often a gap between hospital and community lactation support resources. Our findings indicate helping mothers meet their breastfeeding goals requires a two-pronged approach: Strengthening protective factors, such as prenatal breastfeeding education and peer support, and ensuring that any concerns that do arise are fully addressed with professional lactation support, especially in those first few days at home," said Nommsen-Rivers.

Eight percent of the mothers who did not have any trouble with breastfeeding on third day had non-medicated vaginal birth, youth, prenatal self-confidence about breastfeeding and strong social support.