Maternal Understanding Regarding Women Nutrition during Breastfeeding

Introduction: Breastfeeding mothers’ nutritional status affects milk quality and children’s nutrition in a key period for life. Objectives: Identifying and describing breastfeeding mothers’ social representations during this period related with nutrition as self-care; connotations referred to food products and supplements; post-partum weight retention and information sources consulted on this matter. Materials and Methods: Ten in depth interviews were performed in healthy adult breastfeeding mothers. Interviews were analyzed with a qualitative methodology considering Health Beliefs, PRECEDE and Health Promotion models, employing the Grounded Theory. Results: Women consider nutrition as a health conditioning factor and refer dietary changes implementation during pregnancy, which are not always kept during breastfeeding. Disorganization was mentioned regarding feeding and commensality, prioritizing their child’s health over their own. Vegetables and liquids are attributed to positive connotations, referring increased consumption. Certain foods are limited as they are considered less healthy (“junk food”, sweets, sodas, cookies, spices, coffee and mate) while others, like milk, have been associated with negative effects. Insufficient weight gain during pregnancy is valorized as an achievement due to pairs approval and appearance. Association between breastfeeding and previous weight recovery is weak and doubted. Lack of information on feeding and breastfeeding even among health professionals is recognized. In case of doubts, mothers follow the closest belief affectively. Conclusions: Identifying and characterizing beliefs and barriers for maternal eating practices allow including socio-cultural aspects both in the design of public health policies and in individual nutritional counseling.