Abstract
BackgroundMany women experience breastfeeding difficulties. Sometimes these difficulties lead to breastfeeding cessation. Breastfeeding clinics provide support for women facing such problems. This study aims to describe the breastfeeding experience of women, particularly those who use the services of the breastfeeding clinic located in the Greater Quebec City area.MethodsThis is a descriptive study based on information gathered through telephone questionnaires that were administered in 2006 to a sample of 86 women and semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 of these women.ResultsPainful nipples/breasts, low milk supply and latching difficulties were the three most frequent major breastfeeding problems identified by women. Their personal characteristics as well as the moral and physical support provided by family and friends and by health professional and clinicians at the breastfeeding clinic were the factors identified most often as having a positive influence on the breastfeeding experience.ConclusionThe results suggest that breastfeeding clinics have a critical role to play in improving the breastfeeding experience of women with major difficulties.
Highlights
IntroductionThis study aims to describe the breastfeeding experience of women, those who use the services of the breastfeeding clinic located in the Greater Quebec City area
This paper aims to describe the breastfeeding experience of women experiencing major breastfeeding difficulties and in particular, the experience of women using the services of the Quebec City Breastfeeding Clinic
Of the 72 women selected from the Greater Quebec City area, 13 could not be reached, five refused to participate for reasons unknown, and two were excluded because they did not meet eligibility criteria
Summary
This study aims to describe the breastfeeding experience of women, those who use the services of the breastfeeding clinic located in the Greater Quebec City area. Breastfeeding rates for the Greater Quebec City area were similar to those for the province as a whole [2]. These rates were still far from those of other industrialized countries such as Norway (80% at six months) and Sweden (70% at six months) [3]. Exclusive breastfeeding rates for the province of Quebec (3% at six months) [2] remain far below the 10% goal set by the Ministry [1].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
