Abstract
The notion that breastfeeding contributes to mother-infant bonding is well accepted in both popular culture, and in the academic discourse regarding the benefits of breastfeeding. Nonetheless, studies examining the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal bonding have failed to convincingly demonstrate a significantly beneficial contribution of breastfeeding to maternal bonding. The aim of this study was to address the gap between theory and research by focusing on a new variable: maternal subjective feeding experience. To examine the possible contribution of maternal subjective feeding experiences to maternal bonding, this study examined 99 community-based women, who intended to breastfeed while pregnant. The research design was a follow-up study that included three time: at pregnancy, three and six months postnatal. Data was collected through self-report questionnaires and telephone interviews. Feeding data included quantitative characteristics of infant feeding and maternal subjective feeding experiences. Bonding was measured six months postnatally. Bonding to fetus and postpartum depression were added as control variables. Findings showed that feeding experiences up to three months postnatally predict maternal bonding six months postnatal. The more positive and less negative the feeding experience, the greater the bonding. In contrast, the feeding characteristics did not have a unique and significant contribution to bonding prediction. This study suggests that maternal feeding experiences, rather than the actual feeding style, contribute to the maternal bonding to the infant. Hence, feeding experiences are an essential variable that needs to be further explored.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 787-799 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Current Psychology |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
Keywords
- Bonding
- Breastfeeding
- Feeding experience
- Mother infant bonding
- Motherhood
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Psychology