First-time mothers' views of the breastfeeding walk-in clinic

Abstract

The set up of a Breastfeeding Walk-In Clinic is an effective strategy to encourage ongoing breastfeeding. By providing support, breastfeeding concerns met by mothers are minimised and therefore mothers' self-efficacy to breastfeed is enhanced. This study aimed to gain insight on the first-time mothers' views of the Breastfeeding Walk-In Clinic. It seeks to investigate why first-time mothers attend the Breastfeeding Walk-In Clinic, to explore the support and confidence that first-time mothers receive from the Breastfeeding Walk-In Clinic's service and to determine whether first-time mothers are satisfied with the service provided. A quantitative approach was adopted. Using a self-designed and a self-administered questionnaire, forty first-time mothers were recruited in this study by means of convenience sampling. A response rate of 95% was obtained (N=38). Data was analysed manually using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The majority of the participating mothers viewed the service positively, since they were satisfied with the support, confidence and overall service provided, although some suggestions for service improvement were noted. The participants mainly attended the clinic for reasons concerning infant's growth, reassurance and feeding skills. Most participants claimed that their breastfeeding confidence levels increased by nearly half after visiting the clinic, implying that overall participating first-time mothers were satisfied with the service provided. Recommendations proposed include exploring and assessing satisfaction levels in all population groups of mothers who use this clinic, encouraging the involvement of the father, increasing service promotion and increasing awareness amongst qualified staff and students about the midwifery role in promoting and supporting breastfeeding in Malta. Keywords: breastfeeding drop-in clinics, breastfeeding confidence, breastfeeding support, breastfeeding service, breastfeeding views, maternal satisfaction and service satisfaction.