Welcoming, supportive care in US birthing facilities and realization of breastfeeding goals.

This was a cross-sectional self-report survey, so it cannot show that supportive feelings caused breastfeeding goals to be met. The sample was recruited online and was mostly non-Hispanic white, married or in a civil partnership, high income, and intended to breastfeed, so it may not represent all birthing parents. Participants could recall postnatal experiences up to five years after birth, and meeting breastfeeding goals was a single self-reported outcome that may change over time. The support measures were highly correlated with one another, so the contribution of any single aspect of care cannot be separated. Emotional health during pregnancy or postpartum was not measured, though it may affect both experiences and feeding outcomes. Data were collected before the COVID-19 pandemic, when postnatal unit care changed substantially.

Several authors are co-inventors on a patented postnatal unit bassinet, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invention is licensed.

Do not conclude that making birthing parents feel welcomed and supported will increase breastfeeding success. The survey only found associations, the support measures were highly correlated, and the sample was mostly white, married, high-income, and intended to breastfeed.