Striving for Sufficient Milk to Have a Healthy Late Preterm Baby: a Grounded Theory Study

Abstract Background: Late preterm infants are at risk for more health problems than full-term infants. They require good nutrition for growth, and breast milk is the gold standard because it contains valuable nutrients. Currently, the population of late preterm infants is increasing as exclusive breastfeeding rates decrease. Hence, this study explored exclusive breastfeeding experiences among Thai first-time mothers of late preterm infants. Methods: Participants were recruited from the family planning unit of a university hospital in Northern Thailand. A grounded theory study design was adopted, and an interview guideline was used to interview seventeen first-time mothers who exclusively breastfed their late preterm infants for the first six weeks of life. Results: “Striving for sufficient milk to have a healthy baby” emerged as the core category. It was defined as a process in which mothers of late preterm infants had to exert great effort to produce sufficient milk for their infants. The following three phases supported the core category: preparing for breastfeeding, overcoming the problem of insufficient milk supply, and managing to continue breastfeeding. Conclusion: Perceived insufficient milk supply in first-time mothers is a threat to achieving exclusive breastfeeding of their late preterm infants. However, the desire to have a healthy baby results in mothers’ effort to achieve a sufficient milk supply. Nurse midwives could apply the management process of exclusive breastfeeding as a guideline when providing support for these mothers throughout the sequence of antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care.Trial registration: Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board Committee, Faculty of Nursing, and the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, No. 2561-EXP065 and No. 2561-05865.