A mixed methods study of perinatal sleep and breastfeeding outcomes in women at risk for postpartum depression.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Pregnant and postpartum women experience significant sleep disruption, but the role of perinatal sleep disturbances in breastfeeding is understudied.

Methods

In this observational cohort study, we used mixed methods to examine associations between perinatal sleep and breastfeeding. Forty-eight women (mean age 28.2 ± 4.9 years) who were euthymic at enrollment but had a history of major depression (n = 43) or bipolar disorder (n = 5) had sleep recorded with wrist actigraphy. We determined feeding status through daily diaries and used semi-structured interviews to identify themes regarding participants' experiences, breastfeeding decisions, and behaviors. To examine whether sleep disturbance during pregnancy predicted breastfeeding (BF) rates, we defined "lower sle

SUBMITTER: Gordon LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9665349 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature