Improving support for breastfeeding mothers: a qualitative study on the experiences of breastfeeding among mothers who reside in a deprived and culturally diverse community

Abstract

Background The United Kingdom has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, with the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding shown to be closely related to the mothers’ age, ethnicity and social class. Whilst the barriers that influence a woman’s decision to breastfeed are well documented, less is known how these barriers vary by the UK’s diverse population. As such, this study aimed to explore mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding and accessing breastfeeding services offered locally amongst a deprived and culturally diverse community. Methods A qualitative interpretive study comprising of 63 mothers (white British n = 8, Pakistani n = 13, Bangladeshi n = 10, black African n = 15 and Polish n = 17) who took part in single-sex focus groups, conducted in local community centres across the most deprived and ethnically diverse wards in Luton, UK. The focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically using Framework Analysis. Results The most common barriers to breastfeeding irrespective of ethnicity were perceptions surrounding pain and lack of milk. Confidence and motivation were found to be crucial facilitators of breastfeeding; whereby mothers felt that interventions should seek to reassure and support mothers not only during the early stages but throughout the breastfeeding journey. Mothers particularly valued the practical support provided by health care professions particularly surrounding positioning and attachment techniques. However, many mothers felt that the support from health care professionals was not always followed through. Conclusions The findings presented inform important recommendations for the design and implementation of future programs and interventions targeted at reducing breastfeeding inequalities. Interventions should focus on providing mothers practical support and reassurance not only during the early stages but throughout their breastfeeding journey. The findings also highlight the need for tailoring services to support diverse communities which acknowledge different traditional and familial practices.

‘They Are Kids, Let Them Eat’: A Qualitative Investigation into the Parental Beliefs and Practices of Providing a Healthy Diet for Young Children among a Culturally Diverse and Deprived Population in the UK

“…This approach seeks to describe the essence of a phenomenon from the perspectives of those who have experienced it in a bid to uncover the meaning of their lived experience [ 36 ]. This study is a smaller sub-study of a larger research programme that explored parents’ beliefs and perceptions regarding healthy diet and weight for children aged 0–5 years [ 37 , 38 ].…”

Interventions and policy approaches to promote equity in breastfeeding

“…This study highlights why exploring mothers’ experiences of infant feeding decisions and the barriers toward accessing infant feeding services often implies looking at how historical trauma, cultural norms, deprivation and marginalization, and inequitable access to services work together in synergy towards adding barriers at different levels of the socioecological framework that lead to breastfeeding inequities. In this vein, Cook et al [ 33 ], conducted a qualitative study, to assess what influences feeding methods decisions, including services accessed by women of a deprived and culturally diverse community in the United Kingdom. Self-report of milk insufficiency was a major factor to introduce breastmilk substitutes, which might result from a lack of adequate strategies and services to reassure and support women since the beginning and throughout their breastfeeding journey.…”

Synthesis as an Expanding Resource in Human Milk Science

“…Due to its effectiveness, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends human milk as the sole source of nutrition for the first six months of life. 1,2 Not surprisingly, the benefits of breastfeeding extend far beyond nutrition. Breastfeeding not only enhances the bond between mother and child but also plays a role in emotional and cognitive development.…”

“…Human milk has evolved to accommodate the entire range of a newborn’s physiological needs. Due to its effectiveness, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends human milk as the sole source of nutrition for the first six months of life. , Not surprisingly, the benefits of breastfeeding extend far beyond nutrition. Breastfeeding not only enhances the bond between mother and child but also plays a role in emotional and cognitive development. , Moreover, human milk governs the infant’s developing immune system. − Interestingly, breastfeeding also provides untold benefits to the mother.…”

“…Indeed, metabolic engineering of recombinant microbial hosts clearly outcompetes both chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis. This process is known as fermentation and has resulted in the unprecedented scaling of HMOs, − with a major focus on 2′-FL 19 , − 3′-FL 22 , ,− Lacto- N -triose II 96 , LNnT 20 , and LNT 19 . , Microbial host organisms were first used for large-scale HMO production in the early 1990s. In the time since, nearly 50 HMOs have been synthesized through fermentation …”