[Breast-feeding in the clinic and following discharge]

In 1980 we asked 491 women in childbed about their breast-feeding behaviour in the hospital and later at home. For 11,3 weeks on an average a woman supported her baby by breast-feeding, the total breast-feeding-time on an average was 20,02 weeks. The immediate breast-feeding after the delivery seems not to have such an important influence as the general breast-feeding situation in the hospital, which is influenced by the rooming-in-system and the free-demand-feeding. The parity had no influence on the intensity of breast-feeding, but women over 30 supported their children much longer by breast-feeding than younger ones. Also we found out, that women with a better school education and a higher qualified profession nursed their babies longer than other ones with a less qualified education. The way of delivery had no influence on the breast-feeding behaviour. In our region, female babies were nursed longer than male ones. We could clearly find out, that the partner influenced the breast-feeding behaviour of the young mother. The main reason for the delactation was the hypogalactia, it influenced the total breast-feeding time negatively, naturally. Those women, who were advised by their gynecologists appear to nurse a shorter time and to complain more frequently about complications. Multiparas with breast-feeding complications consulted the doctor more often than primiparas. As we think, that young mothers are fixing their breast- feeding intention already during their pregnancy, we present a model of the integration of the La Leche League in our hospital week day and also in our delivery preparation courses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)