308180
Mother-to-mother human milk sharing among breastfeeding mothers with lactation insufficiency
Mother-to-mother milk sharing appears to be increasing among breastfeeding mothers with lactation insufficiency who must either supplement their own breastfeeding or replace it with a nutritionally appropriate substitute. Even as the World Health Organization deems “breast milk from a healthy wet nurse” superior to formula in these cases, little information exists about milk recipients and the factors that motivate them to choose another mother’s milk over commercially-prepared products. This study compares the experiences of women with lactation insufficiency who supplement with donor milk to those who use other breastmilk substitutes.
Methods:
Breastfeeding mothers with lactation insufficiency were recruited via social media platforms (blogs, discussion forums, Facebook, Twitter) where such mothers virtually convene for information and support) to complete an online questionnaire. Questionnaires were completed between February and December 2013. Closed and open-ended questions focused on the mothers’ experiences in attempting to exclusively breastfeed their infants.
Results:
Approximately 600 women with lactation insufficiency during the first 6 months postpartum participated in the survey. More than ¼ of mothers reported using some donor milk acquired via mother-to-mother sharing. These mothers will be compared to mothers supplementing with formula in: reasons for selecting method of supplementation; sources of information and influence in their infant feeding decisions; concerns about the healthfulness of their choice; and satisfaction with their breastfeeding experience.
Conclusion: Understanding the factors that underlie women’s decision-making in selecting milk supplementation can assist healthcare practitioners and public health professionals to more effectively target their education and counseling regarding supplementation for women with lactation insufficiency.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationCommunication and informatics
Learning Objectives:
Describe the prevalence of the practice of mother-to-mother milk sharing among breastfeeding mothers with lactation insufficiency;
Discuss 3 factors that influenced mothers’ decisions to use milk acquired via a mother-to-mother arrangement over other infant feeding options;
Discuss 3 differences in mothers’ satisfaction with their choice of infant feeding supplementation;
Describe 2 differences in mothers’ satisfaction with their overall infant feeding experience between mothers using donor milk compared to those using breastmilk substitutes
Keyword(s): Breastfeeding, Maternal and Child Health
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was a researcher on this study and I was involved in the study design, questionnaire development and administration, and data collection and analysis. I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and have worked with mothers who could not exclusively breastfeed.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.