New Mothers' Perceptions of Pressure to Breastfeed.
Christina X Korth, Sarah A Keim, Canice E Crerand and 1 others
PMID 35475926WHAT IT FOUND
Most new mothers felt pressure to breastfeed, mainly from themselves and society.
Pressure was linked to poorer breastfeeding experience and confidence, but not to anxiety or depression. Ask about self-expectations.
Key findings
01Most women reported at least some or a lot of pressure to breastfeed from themselves (82%) and society (64%), and 52% reported pressure from a lactation support person.
02Higher perceived pressure was associated with poorer breastfeeding experience and lower breastfeeding self-efficacy, even after accounting for age, education, marital status, and income.
03Perceived pressure was not associated with anxiety or depressive symptoms, but anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with poorer breastfeeding experience and lower self-efficacy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample recruited through online platforms and social media, so the participants may not represent all new mothers. Most participants were White, highly educated, and reported income above $95,000, so findings may not apply to other groups. The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether pressure led to poorer breastfeeding experience or whether poorer experience led to more perceived pressure. The Pressure to Breastfeed Questionnaire was newly developed and not yet validated in diverse populations, so its scores should be interpreted cautiously. Analyses used 187 of 267 participants, and 8 women were excluded because of missing pressure items. The study did not collect parity or infant birth weight, and it included only women who could read and write English and had attempted breastfeeding. Data were collected in 2016, before the COVID-19 pandemic, so mothers' attitudes may have changed.
Declared interests
No funding source is stated in the supplied text. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that perceived pressure causes poorer breastfeeding experiences or that maternity nurses are a major source of pressure. The study only showed associations at one time point, and only two women reported nurses as a source.