Breastfeeding Motivators and Barriers in Women Receiving Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

Women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are encouraged to breastfeed, but have lower breastfeeding rates than the general population. We examined self-reported barriers and motivators for breastfeeding in women with OUD and the relationship between maternal/postnatal factors and breastfeeding noninitiation/discontinuation. A cross-sectional design was used; 40 women with OUD who were eligible to breastfeed were included. Information about breastfeeding initiation, duration, barriers/motivators, demographic characteristics, and self-efficacy was obtained through semi-structured interviews at 4-8 weeks postpartum. Wilcoxon rank sum or Fisher's exact test was used to examine the relationship between maternal/postnatal factors and never-initiated/discontinued breastfeeding. Respondents were 29.3 ± 5.3 years old; most were prescribed buprenorphine (77.5%); and 36.8% of infants were treated for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome with methadone or morphine. Most (75.0%) participants initiated breastfeeding; 50.0% continued breastfeeding at 4-8 weeks. The most common motivators included infant health (100%) and bonding (45.0%). On average, women reported discontinuing breastfeeding at 3.3 ± 1.1 weeks postpartum. The most common barriers were concerns regarding transfer of medications or other substances to the infant (50.0%) and concerns about breast milk supply (35.0%). Mean self-efficacy scores were similar among those who continued versus never-initiated/discontinued breastfeeding (33.5 versus 33.0; p = 0.388). Neonatal intensive care unit admission was associated with never-initiated/discontinued breastfeeding (p = 0.047). Women with OUD share many similar motivators and barriers to breastfeeding with the general population. Unique concerns include infant exposure to medications or substances, even in those who are eligible to breastfeed, which should be addressed by targeted education for patients and providers.