Breastfeeding” but not at the breast

Mothers' descriptions of providing pumped human milk to their infants via other containers and caregivers

Bibliographic Data

ID15536346
AuthorsJulia P Felice (0000-0002-1038-0727, Cornell University, corresponding author), Sheela R Geraghty (0000-0002-5946-4630, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center), Caroline W Quaglieri (Cornell University), Rei Yamada (0000-0002-3245-9735, Cornell University), Adriana J Wong (0000-0002-5959-3045, Cornell University), Kathleen M Rasmussen (0000-0003-2111-6478, Cornell University)
Year2017
Volume13
Issue3
Publication date2017-01-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMaternal and Child Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1740-8695 • E-ISSN: 1740-8709
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/mcn.12425
PMID28083933
OpenAlexW2578012802
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited31

As pumping has become more prevalent among American women, pumped human milk (HM) is on the rise in their infants' diets in place of some or all feeding at the breast. We aimed to fill a gap in knowledge about mothers' motivations, practices and perceptions related to pumping, and about mothers' and other caregivers' motivations, practices, and perceptions related to feeding pumped HM. Results related to providing pumped HM are reported here, and results related to pumping are reported elsewhere. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews among a diverse sample of mothers whose infants were fed pumped HM (n = 20), following each up to 1 year postpartum. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with Atlas.ti. Nearly all mothers felt bottles were necessary to meet infant HM-feeding goals. Nearly all pumped HM was fed by other caregivers because mothers typically preferred and prioritized feeding at the breast for convenience and maintaining their milk supply. Infants were bottle-fed HM for several reasons that changed over time, such as mother's absence, latch difficulty, or desire to share the burden and bonding of feeding. Feeding practices differed between feeds from bottles versus at the breast; some infants were bottle-fed on schedules but fed at the breast on demand. Mothers' methods for storing, transporting, and preparing HM varied substantially and included practices associated with loss of nutrients and microbial contamination. Mothers' reasons for bottle-feeding HM may affect how much their infants are bottle-fed. Consumption of pumped HM may not provide the same benefits to infants as feeding at the breast. These findings highlight important avenues for future research into the relationships between bottle-feeding HM and infant health, growth, and developmental outcomes

Affect (linguistics · Bottle · Breast feeding · Breast milk · Breastfeeding · Environmental health · Infant feeding · Infant formula · Perception · Qualitative research · Thematic analysis · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues · Communication · Infant Nutrition and Health · Medicine · Psychology · Pediatrics

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