From Pregnancy to Lactation: When the Pathway is Complicated by Cancer

Women with a cancer history report high distress during pregnancy and infant feeding. Despite the clear advantages of breastfeeding, little is known about factors influencing infant feeding behavior in women with cancer history.

This three-time point longitudinal study aimed to explore the centrality of pregnancy and infant feeding experiences in 17 pregnant women with a cancer history (cases) compared to 17 pregnant women without cancer history (controls).

During pregnancy, participants filled out the Centrality of Events Scale and an ad hoc questionnaire about specific emotions, concerns, and expectations about infant feeding (T1), and their childbirth and infant feeding experiences during hospitalization (T2), and at 3-months postpartum (T3).

Results at T1 demonstrated that participants with a history of cancer reported a higher perception of negative judgment and moral choice about breastfeeding than participants without a history of cancer. At T2 they reported a more positive childbirth experience than controls. From T2 to T3 participants with a history of cancer breastfed at a higher percentage than controls, and at T3 they reported higher levels of emotional and physical pleasure about the infant feeding experiences.

Women with cancer history may experience a higher emotional and physical pleasure with infant feeding. Despite initial difficulties, a greater prevalence of breastfeeding was present for women with a history of cancer. Although this is a small sample, this research suggests that support and promotion of breastfeeding might be very effective after a serious medical diagnosis.