Mothers' experiences of feeding babies born with cleft lip and palate

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) in newborns have implications for feeding. It might impede the child's attempts to seal around the nipple and to create intraoral pressure. Parents needed support and information about feeding after birth. Mothers' own experiences and how they coped with the challenges related to feeding have not been extensively studied. The aims of this study were twofold: to describe the experiences of feeding for mothers of children born with CLP and to elucidate how the mothers cope with the challenges related to feeding. A qualitative descriptive method and phenomenographic analysis were used to analyse the narratives. Twelve mothers of babies with CLP were strategically selected and interviewed. A semi-structured interview guide was used. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the local ethical committee. The findings resulted in two main categories and five subcategories. The first main category, Being a capable and good mother, included descriptions associated with the mothers' strong desire to do what was best for the child and about how they experienced feeding. The second main category, Coping with the challenges related to feeding, included descriptions of what the mothers perceived as important in order to cope with the challenges related to feeding; of how personal resources were used; of the significance of the father and close family; and of how healthcare professionals contributed. In conclusion, mothers of children born with CLP were in need of individual information by healthcare professionals with expertise, at the time of the diagnosis and until the feeding was manageable. Furthermore, the mothers' personal resources, the fathers and immediate family were of major importance for the mothers to cope with challenges related to feeding.