READINESS OF MOTHERS TO BREASTFEED
Keywords:
breastfeeding, readiness for breastfeeding, recommendationsAbstract
The benefits of breastfeeding are not only for the baby, but also for the mother. A mother's physical fitness is not enough to be ready to breastfeed her child. Of particular importance is the mother's motivation and desire to breastfeed, initiation of breastfeeding early after birth, providing moral and emotional support from relatives and society, and help/support in the event of a breastfeeding related problem.
The aim of the present study is to find out in the first days after birth whether mothers are prepared to breastfeed and if “not are” what are their recommendations to encourage breastfeeding.
Material and methods: 46 people (women, aged 18 to 42 years) were studied in the first three days after giving birth in II AG hospital "Sheynovo" SBALG Sofia, in the period January March 2023. A Survey was used for this purpose.
Results: 47% of women encountered difficulties related to breastfeeding, 30% have not yet tried to breastfeed for various reasons, 12% do not know if their baby is breastfeeding and 11% have not encountered any difficulties.
The obtained results show that despite the received information about breastfeeding and the trainings carried out during pregnancy, future mothers are not completely ready to breastfeed, they are not prepared for the problems they may face while breastfeeding, which is indicated by the discrepancy between expectations and reality.
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