Social support as a moderator between birth satisfaction and breastfeeding self-efficacy among polish mothers

Breastfeeding self-efficacy is one of the psychological determinants of breastfeeding initiation and duration. Although both birth satisfaction and social support have been associated with breastfeeding outcomes, their combined effects on breastfeeding self-efficacy remain poorly explored.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between birth satisfaction, perceived social support and breastfeeding self-efficacy among Polish mothers, with particular focus on the moderating role of social support.

In this cross-sectional study, 705 Polish mothers who had given birth within the past 24 months, reporting any form of breastfeeding, were included. The participants completed the online Breastfeeding self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form questionnaire, the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Moderation analysis was conducted using linear regression with interaction terms, controlling for maternal age, parity, partner encouragement, pregnancy complications, skin-to-skin contact and mode of birth.

Birth satisfaction and perceived social support were independently associated with higher breastfeeding self-efficacy. A significant interaction effect was observed, indicating that perceived social support moderated the relationship between birth satisfaction and breastfeeding self-efficacy. Simple slopes analysis showed that this association weakened as social support increased and became negative at high levels of support. Importantly, no statistically significant correlations were observed between birth satisfaction and breastfeeding self-efficacy at low levels of perceived social support, whereas at its mean and high levels, the association was negative and statistically significant.

The study findings suggest that perceived social support plays a compensatory role in shaping breastfeeding self-efficacy, reducing reliance on birth satisfaction when support is high. In the absence of strong social support, birth satisfaction alone does not appear to be significantly associated with breastfeeding self-efficacy. Strengthening social support systems, particularly for women with less positive birth experiences, may enhance breastfeeding confidence and contribute to improved breastfeeding outcomes.