Moving toward a better understanding of the experience and measurement of breastfeeding-related pain

Abstract

Purpose: Despite how commonly breastfeeding-related pain is experienced in the postpartum period, and its frequent implication in breastfeeding cessation, this unique type of pain is not well evaluated nor assessed. The purpose of this study was to gain a comprehensive description and understanding of breastfeeding-related pain among postpartum breastfeeding women.

Methods: This study employed a mixed methods approach using a descriptive-interpretive qualitative approach, in addition to administering the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, second version, to comprehensively gain both quantitative and qualitative descriptors of breastfeeding-related pain. Fourteen partnered and educated women living in Southern Ontario with experience of breastfeeding-related pain took part in this study.

Results: The results from this study suggest that breastfeeding-related pain is often experienced as severe and distressing, and comprises various elements of pain including continuous, intermittent, neuropathic, and affective components.

Conclusion: Breastfeeding-related pain is multidimensional and can be severe and distressing for women. Current measurement tools may not adequately reflect the multidimensional components of this unique type of pain, which may limit the effectiveness of health care providers to help with its identification and management.

Keywords:

• Breastfeeding
• descriptive
• nipple pain
• lactation
• measurement
• postpartum

Acknowledgements

The authors of this manuscript would like to thank the participants who kindly shared their experiences with them. They also thank the Middlesex London Health Unit Healthy Start team for their collaboration.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Current knowledge on this subject

• Breastfeeding-related pain is commonly experienced by women in the postpartum period and is an important contributor to premature breastfeeding cessation.

• Breastfeeding-related pain has various etiologies, and as a result, cannot be classified according to a specific pain type.

• There are currently no accepted methods to measure or evaluate the phenomenon of breastfeeding-related pain.

What this study adds

• Conventional pain measurement tools may not be adequate for the measurement and evaluation of this unique type of pain.

• Breastfeeding-related pain is often experienced as severe and distressing.

• Breastfeeding-related pain is multidimensional and requires further investigation to better understand how it is experienced and how it can be managed.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Women’s College Hospital Women’s Xchange 15K Challenge under Grant number [03092016161001].