Postnatal breastfeeding education at one week after childbirth: What are the effects?

The effect of postnatal breastfeeding education given to women on breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding success

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to determine the effect of postnatal breastfeeding education given to women who had normal vaginal and cesarean delivery on breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding success.

METHODS

This is a pretest-posttest randomized controlled quasi-experimental study. This study included 76 women (38 intervention group and 38 control group) who gave birth in a women's and children's diseases training and research hospital.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05666817. The data were collected by means of the introductory information form, breastfeeding knowledge level diagnosis form, LATCH scale, and postnatal self-efficacy scale. In the evaluation of the data, independent group t-tests and dependent group t-tests were used.

RESULTS

Research findings indicate that the women's breastfeeding knowledge level, LATCH scale, and postnatal breastfeeding self-efficacy scale scores were statistically higher than the control group in the post-test (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

It was found by the researchers that postnatal breastfeeding education is effective in increasing the level of breastfeeding knowledge, breastfeeding success, and breastfeeding self-efficacy.

The effect of social media-based support on breastfeeding self-efficacy: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to determine the effect of breastfeeding support through social media on women's breastfeeding self-efficacy.

METHODS

A randomised controlled trial was conducted in the maternity unit of Aksaray University Education and Research Hospital, Turkey. Education and counselling on breastfeeding were given via WhatsApp to women in the intervention group. Women in the control group received routine breastfeeding teaching before discharge from hospital. The Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF) was administered to both groups immediately after birth and at 3 and 6 months postpartum. The study was completed by 31 women in the intervention group and 37 women in the control group.

RESULTS

At 3 and 6 months there was a statistically significant difference in BSES-SF mean scores between the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05). BSES-SF scores in the intervention group were higher at 3 and 6 months compared with baseline, while BSES-SF scores in the control group were lower at 6 months compared with baseline.

CONCLUSION

Women's breastfeeding self-efficacy was improved through a social media-based teaching and counselling intervention. Health care professionals should make use of social media tools to improve women's breastfeeding self-efficacy and encourage continuity of breastfeeding.