First-time Mothers' Experiences of Breastfeeding Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interpretive Description Study

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult for mothers in Ontario to obtain the breastfeeding support they required due to pressure on the healthcare system, social restrictions, and redeployment of healthcare professionals from perinatal services to the pandemic response (Canadian Institute for Health Information [CIHI], 2022; Jack et al., 2021; Rudrum, 2021). The purpose of this interpretive description study was to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon first-time mothers' experiences and perceptions of breastfeeding support in Ontario, Canada. Eligible participants were recruited using purposeful and snowball sampling. Thirteen one-on-one, semi-structured interviews were conducted using a video-conferencing software. One over-arching theme, on their own, and three major themes were identified by the researchers. The first theme, lack of support, is broken down into subthemes lack of practical support, lack of informational support, lack of social support and lack of emotional and esteem-building support. The second theme, figuring it out, is further categorized into the subthemes understanding, taking risks, and motivation and resourcefulness. The third theme, emotional hardships, is broken down into two sub-themes, isolation and it was difficult. The findings from this study have implications for nursing practice, policy, and research, that support the need for more effective pandemic preparedness from the province, including, consistent access to formal and informal breastfeeding support services.