Breastfeeding

Comparison of Breastfeeding Outcomes Between Using the Laid-Back and Side-Lying Breastfeeding Positions in Mothers Delivering by Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The breastfeeding position routinely used following a cesarean section is the side-lying position. However, there have been few studies about the effect of breastfeeding positions, including laid-back position on breastfeeding outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the breastfeeding outcomes between using laid-back and side-lying breastfeeding positions in mothers delivering by cesarean section.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted. The postpartum mothers delivering by cesarean section who delivered term newborns were randomly assigned to learn the use of a laid-back or side-lying breastfeeding position. The breastfeeding outcomes were assessed by LATCH scores at the second day postpartum and exclusive breastfeeding rates during the 6-week postpartum period. The mother's satisfaction of each breastfeeding position was collected before discharge from the hospital.

RESULTS

The data from 152 postpartum mothers delivering by cesarean section were available for analysis, 76 from the laid-back position group and 76 from side-lying position group. The baseline characteristics of both groups were similar. There were no statistically significant differences of the breastfeeding outcomes, LATCH scores at the second day postpartum and the exclusive breastfeeding rates during the 6-week postpartum period. But the mothers had expressed more satisfaction from the side-lying than the laid-back position.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the mothers who delivered by cesarean section, the use of the laid-back breastfeeding position had not shown different breastfeeding outcomes from the side-lying breastfeeding position. It might be an alternative breastfeeding position, which can be taught for mothers delivering by cesarean section along with the side-lying position.

Epidural analgesia and lactation

Present-day mothers have an increased desire to breastfeed, but this desire has increased in parallel with the increased use of epidural analgesia during labor. Epidural anesthesia requires a high level of technical proficiency to avoid serious complications and should always be performed by a trained anesthetist using a strict aseptic technique to reduce the risk of infection. There is currently no consensus regarding the relationship between breastfeeding and epidural analgesia during labor. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the effect of epidural analgesia on breastfeeding.

Motherhood after breast cancer: searching for la dolce vita

Advances in the field of adjuvant therapy in breast cancer have led to significant improvements in breast cancer survival. This has resulted in a progressive decline in breast cancer-related mortality, such that in 2010 there were estimated to be 400,000 breast cancer survivors under the age of 40 in the USA. Hence, enquiry into the feasibility of fertility preservation, subsequent pregnancy and breastfeeding is increasingly encountered. Fertility counseling remains suboptimal in breast cancer clinics, and there is a wide perception that pregnancy could worsen the prognosis of young breast cancer survivors, despite the lack of evidence supporting this notion. In addition, fertility preservation by means of embryo or oocyte cryopreservation requires ovarian stimulation, which is associated with a significant rise in estradiol levels and might delay initiation of therapy. All these factors, and others, have influenced the quality of fertility counseling offered to young breast cancer patients. In this article, we will critically analyze the available clinical and biological evidence on the safety and feasibility of pregnancy and breastfeeding following breast cancer. In addition, we will discuss the different fertility-preservation techniques available for these patients.

Pregnancy after breast cancer. A comprehensive review

Pregnancy after breast cancer treatment has become an important issue since many young breast cancer patients have not completed their family. Generally, these patients should not be discouraged to become pregnant when they want to, since published data suggest no adverse effect of pregnancy on survival. As fertility may be impaired by chemotherapy, different fertility preserving strategies have been developed. Births seem to sustain no adverse effects, while breastfeeding appears to be feasible and safe.

Breast-feeding after breast cancer: if you wish, madam

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor-affecting women during the child bearing period. With the rising trend in delaying pregnancy later in life, the issue of subsequent pregnancy and lactation following breast cancer diagnosis has been more frequently encountered. In this context, data is scarce particularly those addressing the issue of lactation. In this review, we discussed different endocrinal, clinical and biological aspects dealing with breast-feeding after breast cancer in an attempt to determine how safe and feasible this approach is.

Opposing effects of maternal and paternal socioeconomic status on neonatal feeding method, place of sleep, and maternal sleep time

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to compare the relative influence of the socioeconomic status of both mothers and fathers on feeding method and cosleeping.

METHODS

The time and method of feeding and sleeping were recorded in a log during the 4th-week postpartum and analyzed according to the parental Hollingshead Index of Social Position in 33 families with their first newborn.

RESULTS

The effect of socioeconomic status on feeding and sleep was parent specific. Low socioeconomic status of the mother, but not the father, was associated with cosleeping (t = 2.39, P < .01); whereas, a low socioeconomic status of the father, but not the mother, was associated with bottle-feeding rather than breast-feeding (t = 1.94, P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic status of the parents differentially affects neonatal care. Programs to increase breast-feeding rates would be most effective if designed for and aimed at the fathers.