EXPERIENCES OF EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING IN FULL-TIME WORKING MOTHERS, THAILAND

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative research was to study the experiences in exclusive breast feeding in full-time working mothers before and after returning to work who living in Muang district, Surin province. The participants were selected by purposive sampling which consisted of 7 post-partum mothers who gave birth during May to June, 2016 and stated requirements to give exclusive breast feeding which using Snow ball sampling technique. The research instruments were used semi-structured. Data were collected by informal and in depth interview during October-November, 2016. The interviewers were tape recorded and filed note. Data was analyzed by using content analysis regarding Colaizzi’s method.

The findings showed that there were 8 themes of the experiences in exclusive breast feeding of full-time working women. The findings were as following: 1) Happiness and relationship, 2) Delivering and receiving good things, 3) Intensions of exclusive breast feeding, 4) Planning on exclusive breast feeding 5) Felicity among family members, 6) Supervisors and colleagues’ assistance, 7) Limitations, and 8) Problems realization and solutions.

Recommendations: Creating a program on promoting exclusive breast feeding in full-time working mothers was needed. This program should be emphasized on the dealing with small-scale of milk secretion, stresses, health problems that caused exclusive breastfeeding, encouraging family participating by given advantage information of exclusive breast feeding, and cooperated between organizations that institutes should prepare places and time for the mothers who gave breast feeding and intensive policies that encourages breast feeding to get more success.