The Relationship Between Maternal Ambivalence and Readiness to Discontinue Breastfeeding: A Descriptive and Correlational Study Among Mothers in Türkiye.

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is widely recognized as the optimal method of infant feeding and provides substantial biological, psychological, and relational benefits for the mother-infant dyad. However, the transition from breastfeeding to weaning remains insufficiently explored, particularly regarding mothers' psychological readiness to discontinue breastfeeding and the internal conflicts associated with the maternal role. Maternal ambivalence, defined as the coexistence of affection and burden in the maternal experience, may complicate the weaning process, especially in sociocultural contexts where breastfeeding is strongly associated with ideals of good motherhood. This study aimed to examine the relationship between maternal ambivalence and mothers' readiness to discontinue breastfeeding in Türkiye.

Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted between July and October 2025 using an online survey distributed to mothers residing in Erzurum and across Türkiye who had a child aged 18 months or older. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic and Obstetric Information Form, the Maternal Readiness to Discontinue Breastfeeding Scale, and the Maternal Ambivalence Scale. Readiness was evaluated across four dimensions: maternal readiness, infant readiness, process management, and environmental readiness. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 22.0 with descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, independent samples t tests, analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc comparisons, and correlation analyses.

Results: Mothers' readiness to discontinue breastfeeding was most strongly associated with maternal intention and perceived infant readiness, which showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.644, p < 0.001). Process management demonstrated a moderate association with total readiness (r = 0.479), while maternal emotional readiness showed a weak but significant relationship (r = 0.215). Maternal ambivalence was not significantly correlated with any readiness dimension (p > 0.05). Sociodemographic and obstetric variables had minimal influence on readiness scores.

Conclusions: Readiness to discontinue breastfeeding is a multidimensional process primarily shaped by maternal intention and perceived infant readiness, while maternal ambivalence operates as an independent psychological construct. These findings highlight the need for psychologically informed and culturally sensitive weaning support.