Women's perspectives on the role and impact of breastfeeding support groups in Ireland

Background

Breastfeeding Support Groups are deemed effective in promoting breastfeeding initiation and duration, but few studies have addressed the mothers’ perspectives.

Research aim

To investigate the role and impact of Breastfeeding Support Groups on breastfeeding mothers in Ireland from the women's perspective. Specific objectives included the assessment over time of breastfeeding self-efficacy knowledge, use, and limitations of BSGs and whether they contributed towards women achieving their breastfeeding goals.

Methods

An online survey using an established, validated Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy tool and custom-designed questions was administered at two time points as part of a larger sequential explanatory mixed methods’ design. Cultural Historical Activity Theory was used as the theoretical framework.

Results

Majority of respondents at Phase 1 (N = 978) were multiparous, urban dwellers, and breastfeeding more than twelve months. Mothers first attend Breastfeeding Support Groups primarily to meet other breastfeeding mothers with many attending multiple types of group formats weekly. Qualities considered extremely important in breastfeeding supporters were: personal breastfeeding experience breastfeeding knowledge empathy understanding and listening skills There was no statistical difference in breastfeeding self-efficacy over time (z = -1.296, p = .195, r = -0.06).

Conclusions

Participants attend Breastfeeding Support Groups to ‘meet other mothers’ in a convenient and local location, and not necessarily for a problem. Breastfeeding Support Groups normalise breastfeeding through social support, with breastfeeding supporters providing knowledge, empathy, understanding listening, and personal breastfeeding experience. Breastfeeding self-efficacy was high and did not increase over time, suggesting mothers need to be highly efficacious in this cohort to breastfeed.