Mothers' experiences of negative interactions with health professionals when breastfeeding beyond 1 year

Jackson, Jessica Eve; Hallam, Jenny; Safari, Reza

Abstract

This study explores women's negative interactions with health professionals when continuing to breastfeed beyond the first year. The research used a cross-sectional design, with an online questionnaire to gather responses from women worldwide who reported negative experiences with health professionals related to continued breastfeeding between the ages of 1 and less than 2 years. The study used content analysis to analyse responses from 1951 participants. Experiences of negative interactions with health professionals involved advising women to wean (74%), judging the women (18%), stigmatising the women (17%) or telling the women that breastfeeding would affect their healthcare (5%). The findings highlight the urgent need for widespread training programmes, advocating for evidence-based, supportive and non-judgemental care. Healthcare systems are urged to prioritise comprehensive training initiatives aligned with current recommendations, fostering environments where health professionals effectively support and empower women throughout their breastfeeding journey.

Citation

Jackson, J. E., Hallam, J., & Safari, R. (2024). Mothers' experiences of negative interactions with health professionals when breastfeeding beyond 1 year. Journal of Family and Child Health, 1(2), 58-62. https://doi.org/10.12968/jfch.2024.1.2.58

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 13, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Nov 4, 2024
• Publication Date: Oct 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 4, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 1, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Family and Child Health
• Print ISSN: 3049-5210
• Electronic ISSN: 3049-5229
• Publisher: Mark Allen Healthcare
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 58-62
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12968/jfch.2024.1.2.58
• Keywords: Breastfeeding duration, Maternal health, Child and Family Health, Public health, cross-sectional study, Health inequalities, Healthcare Professionals, Breastfeeding Training, Breastfeeding Education
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/41541761
• Publisher URL: https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968/jfch.2024.1.2.58?casa_token=-wi-CCH5cCYAAAAA%3A1OF4jyEy5xXjbriIzbYMAqujODRfzc3f85OlvEJjo4-CO8iL17XX1HYOaejTpyU7XEWrAL5O0dtr