Effective Factors in Empowering Mothers for Breastfeeding: A Qualitative Study

Breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding for 2 years or more is a good way to feed the baby. The empowering of mother’ breastfeeding is one of the important factors in promoting breastfeeding, and identifying its facilitating factors can help develop effective policies and interventions. This study was conducted to investigate the related factors in empowering mothers for breastfeeding in Shiraz Mother and Child Hospital in 2018.

The present study was descriptive qualitative research with a phenomenological approach in which 12 participants were interviewed through semi-structured interview. Content analysis was carried out to analyze the collected data. To analyze the data, each interview was transcribed and codified. Finally, all thematic structures were analyzed, compared and contrasted and the main themes were determined.

Following the acquisition of breastfeeding skills in the hospital, participants cited breastfeeding counseling in health centers as an important factor in facilitating their empowerment in breastfeeding and their breastfeeding continuation. Further analysis revealed that "the mother's decision to breastfeed" along with her perception (self-efficacy and confidence in her capability to breastfeed), "positive cultural attitudes and participation of spouse and family in breastfeeding" "Breastfeeding" (training the spouse and his presence while loving the breastfeeding wife), "Public education and sharing information" (a successful personal relationship between the mother and her friends) and "The role of the midwife and other health care staff (encouraging mothers and increasing their tendancy to breastfeed "provides a good ground for constant breastfeeding.

The four main principles including " health care personnel", "cultural factors" and "individual factors" and training factors have been extracted from the interviews conducted. These principles illustrate the dimensions which facailitate empowerment of women in lactation. Findings indicate that hospital breastfeeding services play a key role in mothers’ ability to breastfeed. Referring those who have problems in breastfeeding to the breastfeeding counseling unit will help mothers breastfeed.