The relationship between fatigue and breastfeeding self-efficacy

Postpartum fatigue appears in the early weeks and after childbirth has a clear impact on maternal functioning and breastfeeding.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between fatigue and breastfeeding self-efficacy.

This descriptive study was conducted at three family health centers (FHCs) in Izmir, Turkey, between June 2013 and March 2014. We used the Self-Description Form for Mothers, the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale Short Form (BSES-SF), and the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) to collect data from 184 breastfeeding women during the postpartum period.

At week 1 postpartum, 98.9% of the mothers in this study experienced fatigue; of those, 12.6% had minor fatigue, 48.3% had moderate fatigue, 36.8% had excessive fatigue, and 0.7% had the highest level of fatigue. At week 8 postpartum, 46.7% of the mothers experienced fatigue, 50.0% of whom experienced fatigue on a minor level, 16.2% on a moderate level, and 2.5% on an excessive level. The present study found that 55.4% and 1.1% of the mothers had BSES-SF mean scores below 50 at weeks 1 and 8 postpartum, respectively. The mean BSES-SF score was 51.21 ± 6.95 (min-max = 19.00-70.00) at week 1 postpartum, which increased to 64.54 ± 9.65 (min-max = 15.00-70.00) at week 8 postpartum. The statistical results indicated that there were no significant relationships between the BSES-SF and the BFI at week 1 postpartum (r = 0.007, P > 0.05) and week 8 postpartum (r = 0.111, P > 0.05).

In this study, the mothers' fatigue during the postpartum period was not associated with breastfeeding self-efficacy. Many of the variables identified may be considered modifiable and amenable to interventions. Targeted interventions should be directed toward improved breastfeeding outcomes among Turkish women.