Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences, cilt.4, sa.3, ss.222-231, 2021 (Scopus)
Objective: Breast milk is the most beneficial food for babies. Breastfeeding behaviors of women affect the nutrition and health status of their babies. This study aims to determine the breastfeeding behaviors of breastfeeding women and the factors affecting these behaviors. Methods: This study was conducted in a single-center, cross-sectional and descriptive type. Breastfeeding women were reached from the community by snowball sampling method between January and December 2020. Informed consent of the mothers and ethics committee approval were obtained before the study. The data were collected using a data collection form for infants and mothers, prepared in line with the literature, and analyzed in a computer environment. Results: In the study, 97 mothers and their babies were included. It was determined that 43.3% of the mothers had a baby for the first time, 46.4% received regular follow-up during pregnancy and 77.3% received breastfeeding training. The mothers of 66% reported that they breastfed their babies within the first hour. Significance was found between maternal age and the time of starting supplementary food, receiving breastfeeding training, and receiving postnatal breastfeeding support. It was concluded that the individual characteristics of the mother are effective in feeding and breastfeeding the baby. Conclusion: It was determined that the breastfeeding education received by the mothers during pregnancy had a positive effect on postpartum breastfeeding behaviors. In order to increase these positive behaviors, it is recommended that breastfeeding training should be given by midwives and its content should be enriched with comprehensive and individualized care features.