title: Determinants of 6-month maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding experience in a multicenter prospective cohort study.
abstract: Although a personally defined experience, successful breastfeeding is usually measured with regard to duration. This study investigated the determinants of maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding experience for 907 mothers enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Despite a median breastfeeding duration (18 weeks) that fell short of recommendations, 822 mothers (90.6%) rated their breastfeeding experience as very or fairly satisfactory. Anticipated breastfeeding duration was a determinant of satisfaction only for women who actually breastfeed < 2 months; in this subgroup of mothers, satisfaction rates ranged from 84.6% for those who anticipated breastfeeding < 2 months to 69.8% for those who anticipated breastfeeding > 4 months (P = .01). Smoking during pregnancy and experiencing breastfeeding difficulties after discharge were independently associated with decreased satisfaction. Eliciting the mother's expectations regarding breastfeeding duration may help the lactation consultant in providing appropriate guidance. Future studies should assess maternal satisfaction using validated instruments.
authors.affiliation: Quality of Care Unit, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France. JLabarere@chu-grenoble.fr
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labarère
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gelbert-Baudino
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laborde
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baudino
authors.forename: Maeva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schelstraete
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: François
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors