Date of Award

Spring 5-20-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

First Advisor

Dr. Deborah MacMillan, PhD, RNC, CNM

Second Advisor

Dr. Monica Ketchie, DNP, CNM, ANP

Abstract

This quality improvement project evaluated the effectiveness of early postpartum follow-up in decreasing breastfeeding attrition rates among postpartum mothers in the first three weeks after delivery. Of special interest is the ability to identify possible differences among maternal characteristics such as age, ethnicity, race or parity. Although the benefits of breastfeeding are widely known and breastfeeding in the United States continues to rise, the breastfeeding rates among African-American women and other races remain lower with a notable significant gap. As of 2013, African American mothers lagged behind their white and Hispanic counterparts in the practice by at least 20 percentage points. A quasi-experimental design utilized a convenience sample of 26 women who are patients at a private obstetrical practice in the southern U.S., planning to breastfeed, and had due dates during May 2017 through September 2017. Participants completed The Breastfeeding Attrition Prediction Tool (BAPT), Breastfeeding Information Toolkit, Maternal Breastfeeding Evaluation Scale (MBES), and interviews.

Most of the participants (94.4%) continued to breastfeed three weeks after delivery and none of the participants required additional referrals or support during the study. The screening process did not identify African American women at risk of breastfeeding attrition. There was no significant difference among income levels in regards to breastfeeding attrition. Participants reported the following breastfeeding barriers: sore nipples, lack of support, education, and work schedules.

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