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Abstract
This article explores the meaning of feeding issues for 17 primiparous and multiparous mothers of young infants and examines the relationship of these issues to the mothers' use of help. Meaning is studied in terms of the content of the issue, its importance to the infant's well-being and mother's actions in response. The feeding issues identified by the mothers are evaluated according to the infant's age and type of feeding. Three classes of feeding issues (technical, regulation, and personal experience of infant or mother) are studied; sources (lay and authority, including clinician and published information) and frequency of help used are assessed by means of a daily diary of feeding issues kept by mothers during the infant's first 90 days. The frequency with which the three classes of issues are reported vary with the infant's age and type of feeding method used (breast, bottle, or both breast and bottle for at least part of the study period). Requests for help and the type of help used vary by class of feeding issue. Ratings of both importance and action were highest for technical issues and lowest for regulation.