Effect of Seven-contact Breastfeeding on the Knowledge, Motivation, and Ability of Breastfeeding during the First Eight-weeks Postpartum

Abstract

Introduction: A minimum of seven-contacts with health personnel is required to successfully breastfeed for six months exclusively. Furthermore, non-exclusively breastfed babies have a six-fold risk of dying in the first year, increased susceptibility to disease, and cognitive loss. This study aims to determine the effect of the seven-contact program on the knowledge, motivation, and mothers’ ability to breastfeed at 8 weeks postpartum. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted from July to December 2020. About 37 samples of mothers with a gestational age of 28 weeks at the Maternity Clinic in Medan were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The data were obtained from the questionnaires and observation sheets and analyzed using the paired t-test. Results: The results showed that knowledge, motivation, and mothers’ ability to breastfeed were significantly different before and after the seven-contact breastfeeding intervention with a p-value of 0.001<0.005. Conclusion: Seven-contact breastfeeding intervention increases pregnant women’s knowledge, motivation, and ability to breastfeed during the first eight weeks after delivery. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage pregnant women to apply the Seven-contact Breastfeeding to improve and support their journey.