Influence of education at The Childbirth School on Breast Feeding.

Abstract

Breast feeding is the only proper way to feed a newborn and a baby during the first several months of his life. The most professional way of preparation for natural feeding is The Childbirth School. Education ought to be continued in maternity wards. The aim of this study is to prove that women who participated in The Childbirth Courses are better motivated and prepared for breast feeding. Material and methodology. The research comprised 294 lying-in women hospitalized in maternity ward in Clinic of Obstetrics and Perinatology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin from June 2001 to December 2002. The examined women were divided into two groups: Group I--"study group"--comprised 129 lying-in women who attended the childbirth school courses during at least one pregnancy, but no earlier than 2 years ago. Group II--"control group" (reference group)--included 165 lying-in women who did not participate in any organized forms of prenatal education. Every woman who agreed to participate in the research was accepted. There was applied analysis of lying-in woman's documentation and author's questionnaire which was also used for further research. As a result of the research it was found that The Childbirth School increases motivation for natural feeding and prepares women for this activity. It also showed that more emphasis should be given to childbirth education for puerperal women in maternity wards; it refers in special to those women who did not attend The Childbirth School.