Intentions and Barriers to Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Jordanian Mothers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Despite the generally recognised best practices of breastfeeding as the best method of feeding newborns, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Jordan is still way below the global average. Although cultural and religious beliefs promote breastfeeding by mothers, other mothers end up quitting earlier than the advised time. It is critical to know the intentions of mothers and the barriers they encounter to develop effective nursing and policy interventions.

This was a qualitative descriptive study carried out in a single hospital, which is a government hospital located in Amman, Jordan. It involved the semi-structured interviews on 15 pregnant women in their second or third trimester, and data were recorded, transcribed and analysed via content analysis.

Most of the mothers were highly motivated to breastfeed because they found it to be natural, healthy and cost-effective, and they felt emotionally rewarded to do so. Nevertheless, it had serious obstacles. Mothers had fears of poor body image, poor milk supply and physical discomfort and felt that maternity leave was too short and that breastfeeding could not be accommodated within their work schedule. Lack of professional help made many mothers turn to their families or online media to get their help.

Jordanian mothers are found to be highly motivated to breastfeed, yet they face long-term cultural, social and occupational barriers to exclusive breastfeeding. Although breastfeeding is widely regarded as optimal for infant feeding, exclusive breastfeeding rates in Jordan remain far below global targets. Despite cultural and religious values encouraging mothers to breastfeed, many mothers stop earlier than recommended. Understanding mothers' intentions and the obstacles they face is essential to designing practical nursing and policy interventions.