Experiences of Primiparous Breast-Feeding Mothers in the First Days Following Birth

Abstract

This study describes the breast-feeding patterns of 59 neonates and the experiences of their primparous mothers during the early postpartum period. The results showed that most mothers and babies in this group had significant difficulties during the first 2 days after birth and that 33% of the mother-baby pairs were still having problems latching or sucking on discharge from hospital (fourth to fifth postpartum days). Of the mothers who were still having problems on leaving the hospital, 84% had given up breast-feeding by 8 weeks, most of them by 2 weeks following hospital discharge.