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Perceived Pressures and Mental Health of Breastfeeding Mothers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Wheeler, A., Farrington, S., Sweeting, F., Brown, A. and Mayers, A., 2024. Perceived Pressures and Mental Health of Breastfeeding Mothers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Healthcare, 12 (17), 1794.

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DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12171794

Abstract

When a mother is supported to breastfeed, the benefits for her mental health are significant. However, if pressured or unsupported, the opposite is true. This research examines mothers' breastfeeding experiences, exploring how perceived pressure can impact perinatal mental health. A sample of 501 respondents to a research questionnaire was explored using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Three main themes identified were perceived pressure to breastfeed, perceived pressure not to breastfeed and mental health impact. The main findings were that mothers received conflicting advice from healthcare professionals, and pressures to feed in a certain way came from their support networks, as well as from their internal beliefs. Perceived pressures negatively impacted maternal mental health, while positive breastfeeding experiences benefitted mental health outcomes.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:2227-9032
Uncontrolled Keywords:breastfeeding; mental health; postnatal care; qualitative; social support
Group:Faculty of Science & Technology
ID Code:40343
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:17 Sep 2024 13:31
Last Modified:17 Sep 2024 13:31

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