Background:
Breast milk is regarded as the ideal nutrition for new-born infants. Various infant formulas have similarities to human breast milk in many components but there is no perfect substitute to breast milk. Breast milk contains many active biofactors such as immune factors and inflammatory cytokines that help to protect against infection, and hormones and growth factors which aid the normal growth of the infant’s organs. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for 6 months with continued breastfeeding until 2 years and beyond. Despite this, poor practice of EBF prevails in Ireland.
There is a lack of literature that asks women directly about their opinions of, and experiences with hospital supports when learning to breastfeed in Ireland. To increase our national breastfeeding initiation figures, the quality of supports provided by healthcare professionals to women in hospital should not be overlooked or undervalued. With the aim to increase these figures, hearing from the women themselves is a great way to gain a unique insight into the topic through learning what methods employed by staff are effective and ineffective.
Aims and objectives:
This primary aim of this research study is to determine practices employed by staff in CUMH which impact breastfeeding initiation rates in new mothers, according to the new mothers’ lived experiences.
Hypotheses:
Uncover positive methods used by hospital staff in Cork University Maternity Hospital to encourage women to breastfeed.
Improve women’s in-hospital experience and raise breastfeeding initiation rates in Ireland.
Identify ineffective methods or negative experiences so that we can educate staff and offer guidance on how to avoid these situations.