The effect of maternal fatigue on breastfeeding

Abstract

Background: Postpartum fatigue means tiredness, sense of suffocation, and decreased physical and mental capacity. Fatigue reduces postpartum women s ability of concentrate, which may increase the frequency of postpartum depression, and their babies and cause babies weaning off breastmilk earlier. Aim: Postpartum fatigue reduces the ability of mothers to concentrate and has a negative effect on communication between mothers and their babies. This study was performed to determine the effect of fatigue on breastfeeding and breastfeeding behaviors in postpartum women. Subjects and Methods: The study had a descriptive desing and was carreid out in a postpartum clinic of a maternal, obstetric, and pediatric diseases hospital. It included 374 women giving normal vaginal birth. Data were gathered with a socio-demographic features form and Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue. Results: The mean score was 6,91 ± 2,25 for the subscale fatigue and 2,38 ± 0,91 for the subscale energy. The women reporting that it was not difficult to give birth and that they had little or some fatigue had significantly higher scores for energy (P = 0.001). The women starting to breastfeed in the hour of giving birth (P = 0.003) and the women breastfeeding at 1-hour intervals (P = 0.100) had a lower score for fatigue. The women not needing help while breastfeeding had a significantly lower score for fatigue (P = 0.001), while those reporting to give additional food had a significantly higher score for fatigue (P = 0.014). Conclusion: Women feel tired in the early postpartum period due to giving birth and their tiredness is increased by breastfeeding and infant care.