Mothers' experience of breastfeeding

Abstract

Forty-four French primiparae were interviewed in a longitudinal study of the transition to motherhood. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. Only results concerned with feeding topics are presented. When pregnant, 75 per cent of women wanted to breastfeed: social and demographic variables did not clearly differentiate between prospective breast-and bottle-feeders. After the birth and during the hospital stay, one third of the mothers who had wanted to breastfeed had difficulties linked to an operative birth or to the staff's behaviour and, at five weeks postpartum, had switched to the bottle. At that time, 41 per cent of mothers were breastfeeding. Results indicate that they had more difficulties than bottle-feeders: their babies woke up more often to be fed in the night; they had fewer outings without the baby; their husbands helped less in baby-care; they resumed sexual relationship later and were more often depressed. In spite of that, many of them also expressed great pleasure and joy in breastfeeding. These data suggest that most of the difficulties mothers experience in breastfeeding are linked to the social organization of motherhood, and could be avoided, provided that changes are made in the way society defines the role of the mother.