Decision-making about breastfeeding: influences of breastfeeding counseling.
Jéssica Aparecida da Silva, Monika Wernet, Allison Scholler de Castro Villas Boas and 3 others
PMID 41538680WHAT IT FOUND
First-time mothers described nurse-led breastfeeding counseling in rooming-in as practical and emotional support they said helped them feel able to decide and continue breastfeeding.
Family pressure toward bottles or pacifiers could still undermine it.
Key findings
01Women described nurse-led breastfeeding counseling during rooming-in as practical and emotional support that helped them feel seen, confident, and able to make breastfeeding decisions.
02Women said the counselor's words stayed with them in self-talk when facing breastfeeding difficulties, pacifier or bottle choices, and social pressure.
03Family pressure to introduce bottles or pacifiers, especially when mothers depended on relatives for childcare or work, could weaken breastfeeding decisions despite counseling.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 11 women were interviewed, all first-time mothers from one intervention group of a pilot trial, so the themes cannot be expected to apply to all breastfeeding women. Women without a smartphone or internet were excluded, so experiences of less digitally connected mothers are missing. Interviews were remote, and ambient noise, interruptions, and limited non-verbal cues could affect the accounts. The study reports women's perceptions after counseling; it does not show that counseling caused longer exclusive breastfeeding. All counseling was delivered by three nurses in three Brazilian public hospitals, so other settings, professionals, or counselors may produce different experiences.
Declared interests
Funded by CNPq and CAPES; the supplied text does not report industry sponsorship or author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these women's reports as proof that nurse-led counseling increases exclusive breastfeeding. This study interviewed 11 first-time mothers about their experiences after counseling; it did not test whether counseling works.