Mexican and Somali immigrant breastfeeding initiation and counseling: a qualitative study of practices

Breastfeeding is highly beneficial to mothers and children. Yet even among women who intend to breastfeed their babies, it is not always initiated or sustained. We decided to examine whether cultural beliefs affect breastfeeding practices. Specifically, we looked at those of immigrant Mexican and Somali women who gave birth at a community hospital in southeastern Minnesota and those of the nurses and lactation educators who supported them. To study this, we conducted focus groups with health professionals (N=10) and in-person interviews with Somali and Mexican mothers (N=9). Although the mothers in this study stated their intention to breastfeed, our data show they faced significant challenges to early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding, including their belief that they did not initially produce enough milk. We found the nurses' and lactation educators' discomfort with counseling people from another background as well as language differences and lack of cultural understanding were also barriers to early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding. This study highlights how the beliefs of new mothers and the attitudes of nurses and educators can affect breastfeeding outcomes.