Breastfeeding process and anxiety in mothers with covid-19 in the postnatal period: A qualitative study

Abstract Background The fear, panic, and uncertainties arising during the Covid-19 period have caused many questions about breastfeeding. This study was conducted to investigate breastfeeding and anxiety in mothers with Covid-19. Methods The qualitative research type study was conducted in Istanbul between August and November 2021. The sample of the study consists of Covid-19 positive women breastfeeding their babies in the first six months after birth. Both content and descriptive analysis were used to analyze the data. Results The data were analyzed under three main themes. Under the theme of the impact of Covid-19 on breastfeeding, mothers experienced situations like decreased or increased breastfeeding frequency, cessation of breastfeeding, isolation, anxiety about transmission, and expression of milk. They reported that their anxiety in the breastfeeding process was related to the health of the baby, baby care, decreased milk or not breastfeeding, and the Covid-19 period. They used practices such as receiving spousal and professional support, paying attention to isolation, effective communication with the baby, and praying as methods of coping with anxiety. Conclusion The study demonstrated that factors like transmission anxiety, decreased breastfeeding frequency, and isolation affected breastfeeding, and mothers were most concerned about the baby’s health.