Breastfeeding: An existential challenge—women's lived experiences of initiating breastfeeding within the context of early home discharge in Sweden

Palmér, Lina; Carlsson, Gunilla; Mollberg, Margareta; Nyström, Maria

doi:10.3402/qhw.v5i3.5397

Cited by 22 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(50 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This link between breastfeeding and good mothering, and feelings of guilt if not succeeding in giving the baby "the best" has been described previously [24,25]. In a Swedish context, feelings of guilt and thoughts of being a bad mother were also reported by Palmer et al [11]. The complexity of shame caused by breastfeeding, as described by the primipara participant included in the study due to feeling responsible for the perceived failure of others when breastfeeding in public, has been found to exist among mothers who breastfeed as well as among non-breastfeeding mothers when feeding in a social context [26].…”

Section: Results Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

“…A common reason for the cessation of breastfeeding is the perception of not producing enough milk or experiencing primarily unexpected difficulties related to breastfeeding [10]. In a Swedish study, breastfeeding and, most importantly unsuccessful breastfeeding with related complications or difficulties that lead to breastfeeding cessation cause feelings of guilt and inner thoughts of being a bad mother [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Breastfeeding as a balancing act – pregnant Swedish women’s voices on breastfeeding

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Breastfeeding provides health benefits to both women and children. The rationale behind an individual woman's decision to breastfeed or not can depend on several factors, either independently or in combination. The aim of the current study was to explore attitudes towards breastfeeding among pregnant women in Sweden who intend to breastfeed. Methods: Eleven mothers-to-be, one of whom had previous breastfeeding experience, participated in the study. The women were interviewed either by telephone or face-to-face during late pregnancy, with the aim of exploring their attitudes towards breastfeeding. A semi-structured interview-guide was used, and the transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The social ecological model of health is the theory-based framework underpinning this study. The model provides a comprehensive approach to understanding the factors that influence breastfeeding intention. Results: When interviewed during pregnancy, women described breastfeeding as a balancing act between societal norms and personal desires. The women perceived a societal pressure to breastfeed, however it was accompanied by boundaries and mixed messages. This perceived pressure was balanced by their own knowledge of breastfeeding, in particular their knowledge of other women's experience of breastfeeding. When envisioning their future breastfeeding, the women made uncertain and preliminary plans, and negotiated the benefits and drawbacks of breastfeeding. There was a wish for individual breastfeeding support and information. Conclusions: Pregnant Swedish women perceive their future breastfeeding as a balancing act between societal norms and personal desires. These findings suggest that while discussing breastfeeding during pregnancy, it could be of interest to collect information from pregnant women on their knowledge of breastfeeding and from where they have gained this knowledge, since stories from family and friends may make them question their own capacity to breastfeed. A thorough review of the woman's experiences and attitudes of breastfeeding is important in order to offer the best evidence-based breastfeeding support. Trial registration: Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Regional Ethical Review Board in Uppsala (Dnr: 2017/256).

show abstract

Section: Results Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breastfeeding as a balancing act – pregnant Swedish women’s voices on breastfeeding

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…(Uma, interview) That breastfeeding is a struggle for a significant number of women, particularly in the first few days, is evident in other studies (e.g. Kelleher 2006;Palmer et al 2010). Moreover, other researchers (e.g.…”

Section: (Gina Interview)mentioning

confidence: 88%

‘It should be the most natural thing in the world’: exploring first‐time mothers' breastfeeding difficulties in the UK using audio‐diaries and interviews

Williamson¹,

Leeming²,

Lyttle³

et al. 2011

Maternal & Child Nutrition

100

112

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Breastfeeding is a practice which is promoted and scrutinised in the UK and internationally. In this paper we use interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the experiences of eight, British, first-time mothers who struggled with breastfeeding in the early postpartum period. Participants kept audio diary accounts of their infant feeding experiences across a seven day period immediately following the birth of their infant and took part in related semistructured interviews a few days after completion of the diary. The overarching theme identified was of a tension between the participants' lived, embodied experience of struggling to breastfeed and the cultural construction of breastfeeding as 'natural' and trouble-free. Participants reported particular difficulties interpreting the pain they experienced during feeds, and their emerging maternal identities were threatened, often fluctuating considerably from feed to feed. We discuss some of the implications for breastfeeding promotion and argue for greater awareness and understanding of breastfeeding difficulties, so that breastfeeding women are less likely to interpret these as a personal shortcoming in a manner which disempowers them. We also advocate the need to address proximal and distal influences around the breastfeeding dyad and in particular to consider the broader cultural context in the United Kingdom where breastfeeding is routinely 2 promoted yet often constructed as a shameful act if performed in the public arena.

show abstract

“…This could be done by clarifying steps in the infant's recovery and promoting parent–infant contact that we now know is important for the mother of a child with birth asphyxia, as the breastfeeding event. This suggestion can be underlined by a study by Palmér, Carlsson, Mollberg, and Nyström (2010), which showed that when the mother has problems in breastfeeding the child, it may negatively affect the mothers’ well-being and also the experience of being a mother. According to Nassef et al (2013), the parent–infant bonding can be promoted also by gently taking care of the moment after rewarming, since the infant is then more awake, starts to move, and starts to behave as a normal newborn.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Becoming a parent to a child with birth asphyxia—From a traumatic delivery to living with the experience at home

Heringhaus

Dellenmark‐Blom

Wigert

2013

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this study is to describe the experiences of becoming a parent to a child with birth asphyxia treated with hypothermia in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In line with the medical advances, the survival of critically ill infants with increased risk of morbidity is increasing. Children who survive birth asphyxia are at a higher risk of functional impairments, cerebral palsy (CP), or impaired vision and hearing. Since 2006, hypothermia treatment following birth asphyxia is used in many of the Swedish neonatal units to reduce the risk of brain injury. To date, research on the experience of parenthood of the child with birth asphyxia is sparse. To improve today's neonatal care delivery, health-care providers need to better understand the experiences of becoming a parent to a child with birth asphyxia. A total of 26 parents of 16 children with birth asphyxia treated with hypothermia in a Swedish NICU were interviewed. The transcribed interview texts were analysed according to a qualitative latent content analysis. We found that the experience of becoming a parent to a child with birth asphyxia treated with hypothermia at the NICU was a strenuous journey of overriding an emotional rollercoaster, that is, from being thrown into a chaotic situation which started with a traumatic delivery to later processing the difficult situation of believing the child might not survive or was to be seriously affected by the asphyxia. The prolonged parent–infant separation due to the hypothermia treatment and parents’ fear of touching the infant because of the high-tech equipment seemed to hamper the parent–infant bonding. The adaption of the everyday life at home seemed to be facilitated by the follow-up information of the doctor after discharge. The results of this study underline the importance of family-centered support during and also after the NICU discharge.

show abstract

Breastfeeding: An existential challenge—women's lived experiences of initiating breastfeeding within the context of early home discharge in Sweden

Cited by 22 publications

References 35 publications

Breastfeeding as a balancing act – pregnant Swedish women’s voices on breastfeeding

Breastfeeding as a balancing act – pregnant Swedish women’s voices on breastfeeding

‘It should be the most natural thing in the world’: exploring first‐time mothers' breastfeeding difficulties in the UK using audio‐diaries and interviews

Becoming a parent to a child with birth asphyxia—From a traumatic delivery to living with the experience at home

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About