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"Running in circles": Breastfeeding experiences in women who have had bariatric surgery before pregnancy: A
Seyedeh Samira Mokhlesi1, Vidanka Vasilevski2, Linda Sweet2
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research in the Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
Background:
Women with a history of bariatric surgery tend to have lower breastfeeding rates compared to non-obese women without bariatric surgery. The evidence on breastfeeding after bariatric surgery is limited, and the breastfeeding experiences of these women are not fully understood.
Aim:
To explore the breastfeeding experiences of women who have undergone bariatric surgery before pregnancy.
Methods:
This descriptive qualitative study included interviews with 20 women from across Australia who had experienced breastfeeding following bariatric surgery. Participants were recruited through social media. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results:
Twenty women aged 25-44 participated. Three key themes emerged: bariatric surgery-related challenges for breastfeeding and coping strategies, post-surgery physical changes and weight-related issues, and inadequate and fragmented healthcare support systems. The first theme highlighted the specific challenges that women faced when trying to breastfeed after bariatric surgery, as well as the strategies they employed to manage these difficulties. The second theme explored how physical and weight-related changes following bariatric surgery influenced women's breastfeeding experiences and decisions. The third theme focused on how women with a history of bariatric surgery experienced healthcare support systems for breastfeeding.
Conclusion:
Breastfeeding after bariatric surgery presents unique challenges that are often not addressed by current healthcare systems. The findings emphasise the need for tailored and specialised resources and education for both women and their healthcare teams to help these women successfully navigate breastfeeding.
