Infant feeding choice among first-time mothers

The choice of an infant feeding method is a poorly understood phenomenon. In all societies women are the infant feeders, regardless of the method of infant feeding. How women decide on an infant feeding method is not known; the decision making is complex and frequently unconscious. A qualitative study using the methods of grounded theory was undertaken to understand how women make an infant feeding decision. Eight women were interviewed; 14 themes were identified through the analysis of interview transcripts, field notes, researcher memos, and related literature. The themes were distilled into six conceptual categories which were used as a basis for a model: Conceptualization of the Decision-Making Process in Infant Feeding.