A whopping 92 per cent of first-time moms have concerns related to breastfeeding just a few days after giving birth, a new US study has found.
Those new mothers who report early concerns or problems with breastfeeding are nearly 10 times more likely to abandon breastfeeding within two months, the study found.
In the research, 92 per cent of new moms reported at least one breastfeeding concern three days after birth.
The most predominant concern, in 52 per cent of mothers, was infant feeding at the breast, which refers to the behaviour of the baby, such as not "latching on" properly.
Other common concerns included breastfeeding pain (44 per cent of mothers) and milk quantity (40 per cent of mothers).
"Breastfeeding problems were a nearly universal experience in the group of first-time mothers in our study, with some of the most common problems also being the most strongly associated with stopping breastfeeding," said Laurie Nommsen-Rivers, a researcher in the Perinatal Institute at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and lead investigator of the study.
"Priority should be given to enacting strategies for lowering the overall occurrence of breastfeeding problems and, in particular, targeting support for mothers with infant feeding or milk quantity concerns within the first week after leaving the hospital," Nommsen-Rivers said.
The researchers conducted a series of six interviews with 532 first-time mothers, beginning in pregnancy and also at three, seven 14, 30 and 60 days after giving birth.
The researchers received reports of thousands of breastfeeding problems and concerns. Those concerns reported at interviews conducted at days three and seven postpartum were strongly associated with subsequently stopping breastfeeding, according to Nommsen-Rivers.
"Our findings indicate helping mothers meet their breastfeeding goals requires a two-pronged approach: Strengthening protective factors, such as prenatal breastfeeding education and peer support, and ensuring that any concerns that do arise are fully addressed with professional lactation support, especially in those first few days at home," she said.
The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.
