Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative study
Objective To investigate mothers’ infant feeding experiences (breastfeeding/formula milk feeding) with the aim of understanding how women experience cessation of exclusive breastfeeding.Design Multimethod, qualitative study; questionnaire, focus groups and interviews.Setting Northern and Southern Ta...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2019-05-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/5/e026234.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1825206984645804032 |
|---|---|
| author | Jennifer Elizabeth Ayton Leigh Tesch Emily Hansen |
| author_facet | Jennifer Elizabeth Ayton Leigh Tesch Emily Hansen |
| author_sort | Jennifer Elizabeth Ayton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective To investigate mothers’ infant feeding experiences (breastfeeding/formula milk feeding) with the aim of understanding how women experience cessation of exclusive breastfeeding.Design Multimethod, qualitative study; questionnaire, focus groups and interviews.Setting Northern and Southern Tasmania, Australia.Participants 127 mothers of childbearing age from a broad sociodemographic context completed a questionnaire and participated in 22 focus groups or 19 interviews across Tasmania, 2011–2013.Results Mothers view breastfeeding as ‘natural’ and ‘best’ and formula milk as ‘wrong’ and ‘unnatural’. In an effort to avoid formula and prolong exclusive breastfeeding, mothers will endure multiple issues (eg, pain, low milk supply, mastitis, public shaming) and make use of various forms of social and physical capital; resources such as father/partner support, expressing breast milk, bottles and dummies. The cessation of exclusive breastfeeding was frequently experienced as unexpected and ‘devastating’, leaving mothers with ‘breastfeeding grief’ (a prolonged sense of loss and failure).Conclusions and implications For many mothers, the cessation of exclusive breastfeeding results in lingering feelings of grief and failure making it harmful to women’s emotional well-being. Reframing breastfeeding as a family practice where fathers/partners are incorporated as breastfeeding partners has the potential to help women negotiate and prolong breastfeeding. Proactive counselling and debriefing are needed to assist women who are managing feelings of ‘breastfeeding grief’. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dc47b47476f24e588d570d5fe0ce8846 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-dc47b47476f24e588d570d5fe0ce88462025-02-07T02:00:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-05-019510.1136/bmjopen-2018-026234Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative studyJennifer Elizabeth Ayton0Leigh Tesch1Emily Hansen2School of Medicine, University of Tasmania College of Health and Medicine, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia2 School of Creative Arts and Media, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia3 School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, AustraliaObjective To investigate mothers’ infant feeding experiences (breastfeeding/formula milk feeding) with the aim of understanding how women experience cessation of exclusive breastfeeding.Design Multimethod, qualitative study; questionnaire, focus groups and interviews.Setting Northern and Southern Tasmania, Australia.Participants 127 mothers of childbearing age from a broad sociodemographic context completed a questionnaire and participated in 22 focus groups or 19 interviews across Tasmania, 2011–2013.Results Mothers view breastfeeding as ‘natural’ and ‘best’ and formula milk as ‘wrong’ and ‘unnatural’. In an effort to avoid formula and prolong exclusive breastfeeding, mothers will endure multiple issues (eg, pain, low milk supply, mastitis, public shaming) and make use of various forms of social and physical capital; resources such as father/partner support, expressing breast milk, bottles and dummies. The cessation of exclusive breastfeeding was frequently experienced as unexpected and ‘devastating’, leaving mothers with ‘breastfeeding grief’ (a prolonged sense of loss and failure).Conclusions and implications For many mothers, the cessation of exclusive breastfeeding results in lingering feelings of grief and failure making it harmful to women’s emotional well-being. Reframing breastfeeding as a family practice where fathers/partners are incorporated as breastfeeding partners has the potential to help women negotiate and prolong breastfeeding. Proactive counselling and debriefing are needed to assist women who are managing feelings of ‘breastfeeding grief’.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/5/e026234.full |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer Elizabeth Ayton Leigh Tesch Emily Hansen Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative study BMJ Open |
| title | Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative study |
| title_full | Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative study |
| title_short | Women’s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed: Australian qualitative study |
| title_sort | women s experiences of ceasing to breastfeed australian qualitative study |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/5/e026234.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jenniferelizabethayton womensexperiencesofceasingtobreastfeedaustralianqualitativestudy AT leightesch womensexperiencesofceasingtobreastfeedaustralianqualitativestudy AT emilyhansen womensexperiencesofceasingtobreastfeedaustralianqualitativestudy |