Breastfeeding Technique among Postnatal Mothers at the Teaching Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal

Abstract

Breastfeeding techniques involve positioning the mother and newborn, attachment to the breast, and suckling during breastfeeding. Ineffective breastfeeding techniques are one of the leading causes of premature discontinuation of breastfeeding. The study aimed to assess breastfeeding techniques among postnatal mothers at the Teaching Hospital in Bharatpur, Nepal. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the breastfeeding techniques adopted by 101 postnatal mothers and to find out the association between the level of breastfeeding technique and selected variables. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to study 101 postnatal mothers admitted to the postnatal wards at the teaching hospital, who were selected using a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured interview schedule and observation checklist. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS. Nearly half of the respondents (48.5%) had good, 23.8% had average, and 27.7% followed poor breastfeeding techniques. The breastfeeding technique was significantly associated with the guided breastfeeding technique by health professionals after delivery (p=0.016). The postnatal mothers guided by healthcare professionals demonstrated a better breastfeeding technique than those without guidance. The breastfeeding technique was statistically not significant with age (p=0.273), educational status (p=0.584), occupation (p=0.599), parity (p=0.985), counseling regarding breastfeeding during ANC visits (p=0.681), type of delivery (p=0.822), birth Asphyxia (p=0.268), and weight of the newborn (p=0.484). Nearly half of the mothers have good breastfeeding techniques, whereas one-third have poor ones. The breastfeeding technique was significantly associated with the guidance of health professionals after delivery. It is necessary to counsel mothers on breastfeeding techniques by healthcare providers during pregnancy and immediately after delivery to adopt the correct technique.