All kinds of goodies in the journals today!!!!

Looks like Baby Friendly Hospitals will soon come under attack...or maybe I
am just being paranoid??!!

Breast-feeding difficulties experienced by women taking part in a
qualitative interview study of postnatal depression

Judy Shakespeare MA, BM BCh, MRCP, FRCGP (General Practitioner), , a, Fiona
Blake MRCGP, MRCPsych (Consultant Psychiatrist)b and Jo Garcia BA, MSc
(Research Fellow)c

a Summertown Health Centre, 160 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7BS, UK
b Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK
c National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Health Sciences,
Oxford OX3 7LF, UK

Received 6 August 2003;  Revised 1 October 2003 and 24 November 2003;
accepted 22 December 2003.  Available online 24 June 2004.


Abstract
Objective:
to explore how women experience breast-feeding difficulties. This theme
emerged unexpectedly during a study of women's experiences of screening
with the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) and subsequent care
from primary health-care professionals.

Design:
qualitative in-depth interview study.

Setting:
postnatal women of 22 general practices within Oxford City Primary Care
Group area.

Participants:
39 postnatal women from a purposeful sample were interviewed at an average
of 15 months postnatal. They were chosen from different general practices
and with a range of emotional difficulties after birth, judged using EPDS
results at eight weeks and eight months postnatal, and whether they
received ‘listening visits’ from health visitors.

Measurements and findings:
a qualitative thematic analysis was used, including searches for
anticipated and emergent themes. Fifteen women had breast-feeding
difficulties. Five themes emerged which explore the difficulties. Firstly,
commitment to breast feeding and high expectations of success; secondly,
unexpected difficulties; thirdly, seeking professional support for
difficulties; fourthly, finding a way to cope; and fifthly, guilt.

Key conclusions:
in this study breast-feeding difficulties were common, caused emotional
distress and interactions with professionals could be difficult. Current
breast-feeding policy, such as the ‘Baby Friendly Initiative’, may be a
contributing factor. This needs to be explored in a further study.


Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-1865-515552; fax: +44-1865-311237


Midwifery
Volume 20, Issue 3 , September 2004, Pages 251-260

Ellen Penchuk, IBCLC, RLC...
who should probably get SOME work done today, even if it is Friday.

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