“They painted a rosy view, but I would have preferred to hear the reality”‐ Australian women’s experiences of antenatal breastfeeding education

IF 4.4 2区医学 Q1 NURSING

Women and Birth Pub Date : 2025-02-03 DOI:10.1016/j.wombi.2025.101888

Elisha Stein, Kathleen Dixon, Elaine Burns

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Abstract

Background

Education is an essential component of antenatal care, yet little is known about Australian women’s experience of breastfeeding education.

Aim

This study aimed to explore women’s experiences of breastfeeding education accessed during the antenatal period and the impact on breastfeeding preparedness.

Methods

An online survey collected both qualitative and quantitative data over a one-month period. Quantitative data was analysed for descriptive statistics and open text questions were qualitatively analysed for themes.

Findings

In total 182 participants accessed the survey and 178 completed. Most participants attended breastfeeding education at a public hospital. Some received education free of charge and others had to pay. Breastfeeding education was absent from some antenatal education classes and where it was included there was a lack of standardised content. The benefits of breastfeeding and the importance of skin-to-skin contact were covered regularly, but instructions on how to breastfeed were limited.

Two overarching themes were identified. The first “I didn't feel prepared for breastfeeding” included six sub- themes describing a feeling of being deceived about how easy breastfeeding would be. The second smaller theme “I felt prepared for breastfeeding” reflected more positive experiences. Within this theme were three subthemes including the importance of a skilled educator, learning techniques and the educator’s breastfeeding knowledge.

Conclusion

Women described feeling unprepared for the reality of breastfeeding and sought realistic and practical breastfeeding education. Coverage of breastfeeding was inconsistent, especially breastfeeding challenges. Future policy guidelines on breastfeeding education must be consistent and include minimum information standards.

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来源期刊

Women and Birth NURSING-OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

13.20%

发文量

371

审稿时长

27 days

期刊介绍： Women and Birth is the official journal of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM). It is a midwifery journal that publishes on all matters that affect women and birth, from pre-conceptual counselling, through pregnancy, birth, and the first six weeks postnatal. All papers accepted will draw from and contribute to the relevant contemporary research, policy and/or theoretical literature. We seek research papers, quality assurances papers (with ethical approval) discussion papers, clinical practice papers, case studies and original literature reviews. Our women-centred focus is inclusive of the family, fetus and newborn, both well and sick, and covers both healthy and complex pregnancies and births. The journal seeks papers that take a woman-centred focus on maternity services, epidemiology, primary health care, reproductive psycho/physiology, midwifery practice, theory, research, education, management and leadership. We also seek relevant papers on maternal mental health and neonatal well-being, natural and complementary therapies, local, national and international policy, management, politics, economics and societal and cultural issues as they affect childbearing women and their families. Topics may include, where appropriate, neonatal care, child and family health, women’s health, related to pregnancy, birth and the postpartum, including lactation. Interprofessional papers relevant to midwifery are welcome. Articles are double blind peer-reviewed, primarily by experts in the field of the submitted work.