The Role of Expressed Breast Milk in Motherhood for Mothers of Preterm Infants
Author Information
Author(s): Sweet Linda
Primary Institution: Flinders University
Hypothesis
What is the lived experience of parents breastfeeding very low birth weight preterm infants?
Conclusion
Providing expressed breast milk allows mothers to feel connected to their preterm infants, but it also creates pressure and challenges related to their sense of motherhood.
Supporting Evidence
- Breast milk is seen as a vital connection between mothers and their preterm infants.
- Mothers expressed feelings of guilt and inadequacy when unable to produce sufficient milk.
- Breastfeeding is equated with being a 'good mother' among participants.
- Participants reported feeling isolated from other mothers and hospital staff.
- Providing breast milk was the only tangible mothering role available to mothers in the NICU.
Takeaway
Moms of preterm babies feel that giving breast milk is a special way to be close to their babies, even when they can't hold them. But it can also make them feel stressed about being a good mom.
Methodology
An interpretive phenomenological study with 45 individual interviews conducted with 17 parents over 12 months.
Potential Biases
The study's findings may not apply to all parents of preterm infants due to the specific cultural and social context of the participants.
Limitations
The study was conducted with a small sample of 17 parents from a specific demographic, limiting generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 10 mothers and 7 fathers of very low birth weight preterm infants, primarily from middle-class Caucasian backgrounds in Australia.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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