Maternal expectations about breastfeeding: a prospective observational study of pre-partum and post-partum evaluation

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding is one of the main experiences that occur in the relationship between mother and baby. As stated in the Child Health Manual, breastfeeding is much more than nurturing the child, it is a process that involves deep interaction between mother and child. The view or psychological reading of the pregnant mother about the act of breastfeeding her baby and the socio-cultural image of the mother/woman who breastfeeds impact the sphere of the future personality of the newborn. Objectives: to map the set of intervening factors that interfere in the breastfeeding process, taking into account the expectations conceived by the pregnant woman before breastfeeding, in addition to the analysis of the positive and negative experiences of nursing mothers during breastfeeding in the postpartum period. Methods: an exploratory and descriptive cohort study, using qualitative and quantitative variables resulting from a questionnaire applied to 35 pregnant women during pregnant women and subsequently interviewed with them in postpartum situations. Results: Regarding the age group, the highest concentration of age was between 26 and 33 years old, but there was the participation of women in the extremes of reproductive life; the association between the time of pregnancy and the search for content/guidance on breastfeeding, most participants were between the 20th and 30th week of the pregnancy period, when they sought information on the subject; to the level of education and information on when breastfeeding should be started, among the 19 pregnant women who had higher education, 17 said it should be started during the baby's first hour of life and 02 said it should be after the first hour; among the 15 participants who had completed high school, 14 responded that it should be in the first hour and only 01 responded after the first hour, and 01 participants who reported having completed elementary school, responded that breastfeeding should be started after the first hour of life. of the baby; when asked if they were breastfed and if they had breastfed previously, 04 pregnant women answered that they had not received breast milk and of these, 03 had already breastfed children before the current pregnancy, among the 31 participants who had been breastfed, 27 said they had not yet breastfed and 04 informed that who had already lived the experience with other children. When approached in the puerperium, the most frequent findings were: 14 reported having received professional help; 13 intended to breastfeed exclusively until the 6th month; 15 had already started formula milk; 17 intended to continue breastfeeding after the baby was six months old and 09 were unable to latch on. Conclusion: Breastfeeding is shown to be one of the biggest factors of doubt and insecurity for pregnant women who enter the puerperium in search of humanized and comprehensive care. Thus, the participation of the health professional becomes essential for the success of breastfeeding and the effective dissemination of concrete and assertive knowledge, both prepartum and postpartum.