Breastfeeding Attitudes and Milk Production of Mothers Staying in Single and Double Rooms after Birth: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study.

Abstract

Background: There is limited evidence on whether the interaction of mothers staying in double rooms (DRs) in the hospital after birth affects breastfeeding attitudes and milk production. Research Aim: To compare the breastfeeding attitudes and milk production of mothers staying in a DR in the hospital after birth with mothers staying in a single room (SR). Materials and Methods: In the study, 181 mothers who gave birth at term were included. Of them, 92 stayed in SRs, and 89 stayed in DRs. The milk production and breastfeeding attitudes of the mothers were considered as dependent variables. Results: The mothers staying in SRs needed health care professional support more (83.7%) than did the mothers staying in DRs (71.9%; p < 0.05). Milk production was more in the mothers staying in SRs (χ_mean: 14.16 ± 3.34) than it was in the mothers staying in DRs (χ_mean: 10.13 ± 2.42; p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the breastfeeding attitudes of the participants in terms of the type of the room they stayed in. Conclusions: While most mothers prefer staying in a SR in terms of privacy and comfort, some mothers prefer staying in a multiple-bed room because social interactions they have positively affect their breastfeeding attitudes. Health care institutions may consider incorporating shared or DRs into their postpartum care protocols, which creates comfortable and supportive environments for breastfeeding mothers.