Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: Breast feeding success is affected by a number of factors. Breast feeding self-efficacy was thought to be among the important factors that might affect the breast feeding success. The study aims to investigate the relation between breast feeding self-efficacy and breast feeding successes of mothers during the postpartum period. METHODS: It is a descriptive study. It was conducted in 3 state hospitals and one university hospital in İzmir. A total of 220 women and their babies, who met the sample criteria, were involved in the study between January 2011-December 2012. The sample inclusion criteria consisted of: women who were older than 18 and literate, had full-term and healthy birth, spoke Turkish, breastfed and had no chronic disease that would prevent the breast feeding and were volunteer to participate in the study. Data collection form regarding the defining characteristics, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Short Form Scale and breastfeeding success was measured with the LATCH Assessment Tool. RESULTS: Age average of mothers is 26.7. 44.5% of women are primary school graduates and 85.5% are housewives. Regarding the delivery method, 37.2% had vaginal and 62.8% had caesarean delivery. 59.1% of women have the experience of breast feeding. While the score average of postpartum breast feeding self-efficacy of women was 59, the score average of LATCH was 8.4. As a result of the correlation analysis, a statistically significant and positively strong relation was determined between the score averages of postpartum breast feeding self-efficacy of mothers and score averages of LATCH breast feeding success (r: 0.504, p: 0.000). CONCLUSION: It was determined that the Breast Feeding Self-Efficacy is an important factor affecting the breast feeding success. It is important for breast feeding nurses/midwives to strengthen the breast feeding self-efficacy perceptions of mothers in order to increase the breastfeeding success. 

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