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. 2024 May 6;82(1):62.
doi: 10.1186/s13690-024-01285-6.

Breastfeeding experience and anxiety in mothers with covid-19 in the postnatal period: a qualitative study

Handan Özcan  1 , Tuana Güngör  2
Affiliations

Breastfeeding experience and anxiety in mothers with covid-19 in the postnatal period: a qualitative study

Handan Özcan et al. Arch Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The fear, panic, and uncertainties arising during the Covid-19 period have caused many questions about breastfeeding. This study was conducted to investigate breastfeeding and anxiety in mothers with Covid-19.

Methods: The phenomenological research type study was conducted in Istanbul between August and November 2021. The sample of the research consists of women who breastfeed after birth and who had Covid-19. Both content and descriptive analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results: The data were analyzed under three main themes. Under the theme of the impact of Covid-19 on breastfeeding, mothers experienced situations like decreased or increased breastfeeding frequency, cessation of breastfeeding, isolation, anxiety about transmission, and expression of milk. They reported that their anxiety in the breastfeeding process was related to the health of the baby, baby care, decreased milk or not breastfeeding, and the Covid-19 period. They used practices such as receiving spousal and professional support, paying attention to isolation, effective communication with the baby, and praying as methods of coping with anxiety.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated that factors like transmission anxiety, decreased breastfeeding frequency, and isolation affected breastfeeding, and mothers were most concerned about the baby's health. In situations such as pandemics, protecting mother and baby health is important and a priority area. More quantitative and qualitative studies on the subject are needed.

Keywords: Anxiety; Breastfeeding; Covid-19.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The impact of Covid-19 on the breastfeeding
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Causes of anxiety and stress due to Covid-19 experienced during breastfeeding
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Methods of coping with anxiety and stress caused by Covid-19 experienced during breastfeeding
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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