Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding outcomes among mothers participating in a feasibility breastfeeding-support intervention

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Breastfeeding rates in Ireland are among the lowest worldwide. A feasibility study of a breastfeeding-support intervention explored maternal characteristics associated with antenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy and with infant-feeding mode at 6 weeks postpartum among women giving birth in Ireland.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study across two sites, urban and rural: The National Maternity Hospital (NMH), Dublin and Wexford General Hospital (WGH), Wexford. Nulliparous, pregnant women were recruited at approximately 32 weeks gestation from the hospitals’ antenatal out-patient departments. Participants attended an antenatal class with a support partner, received a one-to-one session with a lactation consultant after delivery and had access to a breastfeeding-support clinic and telephone advice postpartum. Our aim was to understand maternal variables associated with breastfeeding self-efficacy and infant-feeding mode. We explored associations between continuous and categorical variables and any breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding using t tests and Chi-squared analyses.

Results

One hundred mothers provided baseline data; 64 provided follow-up data. Lower maternal age and non-Irish nationality were associated with higher antenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy. At the rural unit, mothers with tertiary education were more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding than those with secondary education. Though not statistically significant, more normal-weight mothers from the urban unit were exclusively breastfeeding at 6 weeks than overweight/obese mothers.

Conclusions

Breastfeeding outcomes differed by maternal education. Future interventions should target mothers with lower education and possibly also overweight and obese mothers. Increasing breastfeeding self-efficacy, particularly among older and Irish-born mothers, may be a mechanism for improving breastfeeding outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Health Service Executive (2016) Breastfeeding in a Healthy Ireland Health Service Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016-2021. Dublin, Ireland

  2. World Health Organization (2001) The optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding: report of an expert consultation. http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/WHO_NHD_01.09/en/

  3. Gallagher L, Begley C, Clarke M (2016) Determinants of breastfeeding initiation in Ireland. Ir J Med Sci 185(3):663–668

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. World Health Organization (2017) European Health Information Gateway: % of infants breastfed at age 3 months. Available at https://gateway.euro.who.int/en/indicators/hfa-indicators/hfa_615-7250-of-infants-breastfed-at-age-3-months/. Accessed 3rd July 2017

  5. Dieterich CM, Felice JP, O’Sullivan E, Rasmussen KM (2013) Breastfeeding and health outcomes for the mother-infant dyad. Pediatr Clin N Am 60(1):31–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Dennis C-L, Faux S (1999) Development and psychometric testing of the breastfeeding self-efficacy scale. Res Nurs Health 22(5):399–409

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Blyth R, Creedy DK, Dennis CL, Moyle W, Pratt J, De Vries SM (2002) Effect of maternal confidence on breastfeeding duration: an application of breastfeeding self-efficacy theory. Birth 29(4):278–284

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Brockway M, Benzies K, Hayden KA (2017) Interventions to improve breastfeeding self-efficacy and resultant breastfeeding rates: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Hum Lact 33(3):486–499

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Tarrant RC, Younger KM, Sheridan-Pereira M, Kearney JM (Aug 2011) Factors associated with duration of breastfeeding in Ireland: potential areas for improvement. J Hum Lact 27(3):262–271

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cullen P (2017) Breastfeeding rates vary hugely between urban and rural areas. The Irish Times. Friday, 28th July 2017

  11. Scott J, Colin W (2002) Breastfeeding: reasons for starting, reasons for stopping and problems along the way. Breastfeeding Review 10(2):13

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kirkland VL, Fein SB (2003) Characterizing reasons for breastfeeding cessation through out the first year postpartum using the construct of thriving. J Hum Lact 19(3):278–285

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Li R, Fein SB, Chen J, Grummer-Strawn LM (2008) Why mothers stop breastfeeding: mothers’ self-reported reasons for stopping during the first year. Pediatrics 122(Supplement 2):S69–S76

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hauck YL, Fenwick J, Dhaliwal SS, Butt J (2011) A western Australian survey of breastfeeding initiation, prevalence and early cessation patterns. Matern Child Health J 15(2):260–268

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Layte R, McCrory C (2014) Growing Up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study in Children. Maternal Health Behaviours and Child Growth in Infancy. Analyses of the Infant Cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland study. Dublin: Department of Children and Youth Affairs

  16. Gallagher L, Clarke M, Cochrane U, Carroll M, Millar S (2008) The National Infant Feeding Survey

  17. Bennett AE, McCartney D, Kearney JM (2016) Views of fathers in Ireland on the experience and challenges of having a breast-feeding partner. Midwifery 40:169–176

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Alberdi G, O’Sullivan EJ, Scully H, Kelly N, Kincaid R, Murtagh R, Murray S, McGuinness D, Clive A, Brosnan M, Sheehy L, Dunn E, McAuliffe FM (2018) A feasibility study of a multidimensional breastfeeding-support intervention in Ireland. Midwifery 58:86–92

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Brick A, Nolan A (2014) Explaining the increase in breastfeeding at hospital discharge in Ireland, 2004–2010. Ir J Med Sci (1971-) 183(3):333–339

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ladewig EL, Hayes C, Browne J, Layte R, Reulbach U (2013) The influence of ethnicity on breastfeeding rates in Ireland: a cross-sectional study. J Epidemiol Community Health.jech-2013-202735

  21. Dennis CLE (2006) Identifying predictors of breastfeeding self-efficacy in the immediate postpartum period. Res Nurs Health 29(4):256–268

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Newby R, Brodribb W, Ware RS, Davies PS (2015) Internet use by first-time mothers for infant feeding support. J Hum Lact 31(3):416–424

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Moore AP, Milligan P, Rivas C, Goff LM (2012) Sources of weaning advice, comparisons between formal and informal advice, and associations with weaning timing in a survey of UK first-time mothers. Public Health Nutr 15(9):1661–1669

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. O’Sullivan EJ, Perrine CG, Rasmussen KM (2015) Early breastfeeding problems mediate the negative association between maternal obesity and exclusive breastfeeding at 1 and 2 months postpartum. J Nutr 145(10):2369–2378

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Rasmussen KM, Kjolhede CL (2004) Prepregnant overweight and obesity diminish the prolactin response to suckling in the first week postpartum. Pediatrics 113(5):e465–e471

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Nommsen-Rivers LA (2016) Does insulin explain the relation between maternal obesity and poor lactation outcomes? An overview of the literature. Adv Nutr 7(2):407–414

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Leeming D, Marshall J, Locke A (2017) Understanding process and context in breastfeeding support interventions: the potential of qualitative research. Matern Child Nutr 13(4):e12407

  28. Noel-Weiss J, Rupp A, Cragg B, Bassett V, Woodend AK (2006) Randomized controlled trial to determine effects of prenatal breastfeeding workshop on maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding duration. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 35(5):616–624

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Leahy-Warren P, Mulcahy H, Phelan A, Corcoran P (2014) Factors influencing initiation and duration of breast feeding in Ireland. Midwifery 30(3):345–352

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the women and their support partners who volunteered their time to participate in this study.

Funding

This project was funded by the Health Service Executive Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit, Dublin North East.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UCD Perinatal Research Centre, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, The National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Elizabeth J. O’Sullivan, Goiuri Alberdi, Helena Scully, Niamh Kelly & Fionnuala M. McAuliffe

  2. The National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Regina Kincaid, Rosie Murtagh, Denise McGuinness, Ashamole Clive, Mary Brosnan, Lucille Sheehy & Fionnuala M. McAuliffe

  3. Wexford General Hospital, Wexford, Ireland

    Stephanie Murray & Elizabeth Dunn

  4. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

    Ashamole Clive

  5. UCD Perinatal Research Centre, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, The National Maternity Hospital, 65/66 Lower Mount St., Dublin 2, Ireland

    Fionnuala M. McAuliffe

Authors
  1. Elizabeth J. O’Sullivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Goiuri Alberdi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Helena Scully
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Niamh Kelly
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Regina Kincaid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Rosie Murtagh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Stephanie Murray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Denise McGuinness
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Ashamole Clive
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Mary Brosnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Lucille Sheehy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Elizabeth Dunn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Fionnuala M. McAuliffe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fionnuala M. McAuliffe.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study received ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of NMH (Dublin, Ireland) and the Research Ethics Committee of the Health Service Executive South-Eastern Area (Dublin, Ireland). All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the research committees and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

O’Sullivan, E.J., Alberdi, G., Scully, H. et al. Antenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding outcomes among mothers participating in a feasibility breastfeeding-support intervention. Ir J Med Sci 188, 569–578 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-018-1884-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-018-1884-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation