Breastfeeding difficulties can awaken a sense of existential vulnerability. One difficulty is oversupply of breastmilk, which is typically described from a medical perspective, while there is a lack of research on the lived experiences of this and on how it affects mothers existentially. This study’s aim is therefore to describe breastfeeding mothers’ lived experiences of oversupply of breastmilk during breastfeeding. A reflective lifeworld research approach was used during the whole research process. Individual lifeworld interviews were conducted with 17 mothers in Sweden with lived experiences of oversupply of breastmilk during breastfeeding. The results of this study illuminate the meaning of oversupply of breastmilk during breastfeeding as it is experienced by breastfeeding mothers. The essential meaning can be described as an embodied struggle of visibility in all its invisibility. This captures the bodily and existential experience of navigating between being seen and unseen, further described in the following constituents: being trapped in a milk-producing body, being powerless in a vulnerable breastfeeding situation, being insufficient as a mother, and struggling in loneliness. From a caring science perspective, this study contributes important knowledge which can help in developing caring practices. The results highlight that oversupply of breastmilk during breastfeeding is an existential phenomenon, with existential dimensions, that affects a mother’s life in a demanding and challenging way when it comes to being a mother. Here the idea of abjection acts as a barrier, in which the uncontrollability of the breastmilk can create an aversion towards one’s body, one’s breastmilk and breastfeeding. There is a risk that these existential dimensions may remain hidden or unspoken if the mother does not dare talk about it and/or the caregiver does not understand that it needs to be discussed. Lifeworld-led care presents an opportunity in which the lived experience is the focus of the caring and the existential is allowed to come to the fore alongside the medical. The intertwining of these two aspects has the potential to contribute to caring that supports and strengthens health and well-being in an existentially challenging and demanding breastfeeding situation.
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund recommend that mothers continue breastfeeding for two years or longer, alongside appropriate complementary foods. However, there is limited evidence on the factors associated with continued breastfeeding in Thailand. This study aimed to identify the determinants of continued breastfeeding at one year and two years. This study used secondary data from four rounds of the Thailand Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), conducted in 2012, 2015–2016, 2019, and 2022, by the National Statistical Office, with support from UNICEF. The analysis included 2,495 children aged 12–15 months and 2,503 children aged 20–23 months. Continued breastfeeding at one year and two years followed standard MICS definitions. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine associated factors. Continued breastfeeding rates were higher at one year than at two years across all survey rounds. In 2022, 33
The global prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) under six months is still below the target of 60
Breastfeeding counselling and peer support are effective strategies for promoting optimal breastfeeding practices and improving mothers’ breastfeeding experiences, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. However, limited evidence exists on how breastfeeding support providers experience structured breastfeeding counselling and support training and apply acquired knowledge and skills in underserved communities. This study explored the experiences of breastfeeding support providers regarding breastfeeding counselling and support training and its application in peri-urban Karachi, Pakistan. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted as a nested sub-study of the BRANCH (BReAstfeediNg Counselling and Management of GrowtH) multicentre trial. Data were collected in February 2025 through focus group discussions with breastfeeding counsellors and peer counsellors and in-depth interviews with a lactation consultant and a pediatrician involved in programme implementation. Purposive maximum-variation sampling was used to recruit participants with diverse roles and experiences. Thirty-seven female participants were included. Interviews and discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English where necessary, and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Three overarching themes and eight subthemes were generated. Participants described the training as a valuable capacity-building opportunity that enhanced breastfeeding knowledge, counselling competencies, communication skills, and professional confidence. Demonstrations, role plays, supervised practice, and clinical exposure were viewed as particularly useful in preparing participants to support mothers experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. Participants reported applying acquired skills through individualized counselling, breastfeeding assessments, practical demonstrations, problem-solving support, and engagement with family members. They perceived improvements in mothers’ awareness, confidence, and acceptance of recommended breastfeeding practices following repeated counselling interactions. Barriers included breastfeeding misconceptions, sociocultural and family influences, maternal emotional distress, health system constraints, lack of privacy, and limited preparation for managing complex breastfeeding situations. Breastfeeding support providers perceived structured breastfeeding counselling and support training as beneficial for strengthening knowledge, counselling competencies, communication skills, and confidence in providing community-based support. Practical skills-based training, ongoing mentorship, culturally responsive counselling, and family engagement may strengthen breastfeeding support programmes in underserved peri-urban communities.
Addressing suboptimal global breastfeeding adherence via digital interventions (DIs) to enhance breastfeeding self-efficacy has become a key clinical research focus. This study evaluates the impact of DI strategies on exclusive breastfeeding, self-efficacy, and breastfeeding effectiveness, providing an evidence-based foundation for optimizing maternal and child health management. Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were comprehensively searched. The risk of bias was independently assessed using the Cochrane tool, RoB 2. The primary outcome was exclusive breastfeeding rate, while secondary outcomes were breastfeeding self‑efficacy and LATCH score. A fixed‑ effects model or a random‑effects model under a Bayesian framework was employed for the network meta-analysis (NMA), and mean differences (MDs) and risk ratios (RRs) were calculated with 95
