"I'm restlessly eager to breastfeed": breastfeeding narratives of internally displaced Yazidi genocide survivors in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract

Breastfeeding is one of the most important public health interventions that supports infant and young child survival in humanitarian crises. Yet, breastfeeding in these settings is often difficult and challenges are not always easy to address. The purpose of this study was to understand breastfeeding decisions and experiences among a population of internally displaced Yazidi women living in IDP camps across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This mixed-methods, multi-sited study was designed to document Yazidi women's breastfeeding experiences while living in an IDP camp in the KRI. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected November 2018-December 2019 in five IDP camps throughout Sulaymaniya Province to which Yazidi families had been resettled. Mental Health screening data were collected with 30 pregnant and postpartum women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with these same 30 women as well as some spouses (n = 7) and aid workers (n = 5). Thematic narrative analysis was used to analyze the data and develop themes and interpretations. Breastfeeding decisions and practices are strongly circumscribed by living conditions in the camp, pregnancy and birth experiences, poverty, lack of mental health care, social support, and cultural beliefs regarding the importance of breastfeeding. There is a critical need for increased investment in delivering mental health support in camps, specifically for people experiencing pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding and those who are supporting these populations, with an emphasis on culturally sensitive, trauma-informed care. Doing so has the potential to promote more humane, holistic, and human-rights-based approaches to perinatal and postpartum care for Yazidis and for IYCF-E programs globally.