Women's Perceptions of Hospital-Based Breastfeeding Care and the Association With Exclusive Breastfeeding

Objective: To examine the differences in women's perceptions of hospital-based breastfeeding care and the association of these perceptions with exclusive breastfeeding. Design: Observational, mixed-methods study. Setting/Local Problem: A 932-bed, Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative–designated, university hospital with approximately 2,000 births per year, where 50% of women who wanted to breastfeed were supplementing with formula before hospital discharge. Participants: Thirty-four women who gave birth to a term, singleton newborn and had a desire to breastfeed exclusively. Measurements: Women's perceptions were assessed using a modified version of the Questionnaire for the Breastfeeding Mother. Results: Women's perceptions of breastfeeding care were positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding (p = .049). In addition, the influence of how a woman's own mother fed her as an infant was shown, because women who themselves were breastfed as infants were more likely to exclusively breastfeed their own newborns. Content analysis showed that women appreciated the care received in the hospital from lactation consultants and access to a hospital-administered breastfeeding clinic after discharge. Conclusion: Creating a hospital environment supportive of breastfeeding could yield positive breastfeeding outcomes for women and newborns.