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Table 4 Summary of breastfeeding practices, barriers, and influences among adolescent mothers 17 and younger in North Carolina (n = 22)

From: Infant feeding experiences among teen mothers in North Carolina: Findings from a mixed-methods study

 

Qualitative findings

Practices

• Many teens (17 out of 22) initiated breastfeeding

 

• Half of those who initiated stopped within the first month, and many supplemented with formula or used the breast pump to give milk

 

• Compared with Whites and Hispanics, fewer African Americans initiated breastfeeding, and more discontinued within the first 2 weeks

Barriers

Reasons for not initiating

 

• Fear of pain

 

• Anticipation of difficulty upon return to school

 

• No clearly articulated reason: "just didn't want to"

 

Reasons for stopping

 

• Pain

 

• Difficulty latching on and insufficient breast milk

 

• Returning to school-concerns included getting enough sleep, leakage, and difficulty and frequency of pumping

Influences

Influences on initiation

 

• Many teens said healthcare providers encouraged breastfeeding during prenatal care and at delivery

 

• Many teens got support and encouragement to breastfeed from family though this was less common among Black teens

 

• Having family members who had breastfed motivated some teens to try breastfeeding

 

• Negative breastfeeding experiences of peers dissuaded a few teens from breastfeeding

 

Influences on continuation

 

• Few teens received hands-on professional assistance after hospital discharge

 

• Encouragement from family did not help teens overcome technical difficulties

  1. Note. Qualitative findings are based on data from in-depth individual interviews with teen mothers in North Carolina conducted between November 2007 and February 2009.