Income, Breastfeeding Problems, Infant Care Support, and Sleep Are Associated With Maternal Satisfaction With...

Maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding is an important indicator of breastfeeding success. However, little is known about the satisfaction of women in lower-middle-income countries, whose breastfeeding rates tend to be higher than those in high-income countries.

To investigate the factors associated with maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding.

This is a cross-sectional and observational study with 291 women in the 6 months postpartum, all users of the public health network in the city of Aracaju, Brazil. Data were collected using the Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale, along with a semi-structured questionnaire covering demographic, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum characteristics. A multivariable logistic regression model with intra-block analysis was constructed to identify factors associated with maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding.

The average maternal satisfaction score was 125.3 (SD = 13.7). Higher maternal satisfaction was associated with lower monthly family income (less than half the minimum wage; OR = 2.12; 95% CI [1.20, 3.74]), absence of problems in breastfeeding (OR = 2.09; 95% CI [1.19, 3.67]), current exclusive breastfeeding (OR = 1.82; 95% CI [1.09, 3.04]), support in caring for the child (OR = 1.89; 95% CI [1.05, 3.40]), and good quality of maternal sleep (OR = 1.71; 95% CI [1.01, 2.90]).

Preventing breastfeeding problems and providing support in childcare, with a focus on improving maternal sleep quality, are essential to increasing breastfeeding satisfaction in low-resource women. These strategies are low-cost and feasible for implementation within routine health services.