Breastfeeding Difficulties Predict Mothers' Bonding with Their Infants from Birth to Age Six Months.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We examined the association between breastfeeding difficulties and trajectories of bonding in the first 6 months postpartum.

Methods

Each month for the first 6 months following birth, 121 mothers of newborn infants (age = 23-45 years, M = 32.31 ± 4.79, 57% White, 23% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 9% Multiracial, 1% Black/African American) were invited to complete self-assessments of bonding. At the first postpartum assessment, mothers who intended to breastfeed also reported whether breastfeeding was more difficult than they had anticipated. We conducted linear mixed modelling to test whether early breastfeeding difficulty was associated with bonding trajectories and examined whether effects remained when accounting for postnatal depression symptoms.

Results

We foun

SUBMITTER: Roth MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11884927 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature