MSSU

Identifying Gaps in Breast Feeding Education and Support: Perspectives and Experiences of Healthcare Providers and New Mothers

  • Lead/Principal Investigator: Katharine Herrington
  • Status: Active
  • Year Started: 2021
  • Location: New Brunswick, Saint John
  • Project Number: SJ-20210902-Herrington
  • Health Priority: System connectedness and coordination


About the project

This study looked at gaps in breastfeeding education and care, based on input from both parents and healthcare providers. We surveyed 145 parents across Horizon Health Network who had breastfed or tried to breastfeed in the past year and had sought help with breastfeeding challenges. We also surveyed 99 healthcare providers about their breastfeeding training, knowledge, and how comfortable they felt supporting common breastfeeding concerns. This research highlights areas where medical education and healthcare services could improve to better support breastfeeding families.

What we learned

Parents gave consistently high ratings to resources like the Mother Baby Clinic and lactation consultants for their knowledge, comfort, and ability to listen. However, ratings for primary care providers were more mixed. About 25% of HCPs said they didn’t feel their training had prepared them to provide good breastfeeding support, and over half said they looked for extra information on their own. Still, most felt confident managing common breastfeeding issues. Some differences came up between what providers said they did and what parents experienced. For example, 86% of family doctors said they discussed breastfeeding during pregnancy, but only 35% of parents recalled having those conversations.

Identifying Gaps in Breast Feeding Education and Support: Perspectives and Experiences of Healthcare Providers and New Mothers