Journal article 463 views 63 downloads
The Positive Cycle of Breastfeeding—Mental Health Outcomes of Breastfeeding Mothers Following Birth Trauma
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Fay Sweeting ,
Andrew Mayers ,
Amy Brown ,
Shanti Farrington
Healthcare, Volume: 13, Issue: 6, Start page: 672
Swansea University Author:
Amy Brown
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PDF | Version of Record
© 2025 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/healthcare13060672
Abstract
Background/Objectives: It is established that both birth and infant feeding experiences can impact maternal mental health, but little is known about how the two might interact. Potentially, a positive breastfeeding experience might help to mitigate feelings associated with birth trauma, but converse...
| Published in: | Healthcare |
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| ISSN: | 2227-9032 |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69261 |
| Abstract: |
Background/Objectives: It is established that both birth and infant feeding experiences can impact maternal mental health, but little is known about how the two might interact. Potentially, a positive breastfeeding experience might help to mitigate feelings associated with birth trauma, but conversely, a difficult feeding experience might further compound birth trauma. The aim of this study was therefore to explore how mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding following birth trauma might impact their mental health. Methods: To explore this, mothers were invited to complete an online survey about their experiences of birth and breastfeeding and how they felt these affected their wellbeing. There were 501 responses, with 159 (32%) describing their birth experience as traumatic and therefore included in this analysis. A thematic analysis approach was used to explore themes around breastfeeding experiences and the impact on wellbeing. Results: Mothers who described positive breastfeeding experiences felt that breastfeeding helped them to bond with their baby post birth trauma and that this protected their mental health. Conversely, mothers who had a difficult experience described how pain, exhaustion, and low milk supply further negatively impacted their wellbeing. Conclusions: The findings show the importance of enhanced support for breastfeeding mothers who have experienced birth trauma, as feeding experiences can potentially help heal or compound challenging memories, thoughts, and emotions around birth. |
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| Keywords: |
breastfeeding; postnatal care; mental health; birth trauma; qualitative |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Issue: |
6 |
| Start Page: |
672 |