Interventions to Improve Breastfeeding Support and Education for Mothers

read the following paper from my college and response in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.

Share an insight from having read the below postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.

Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom and/or from your own research in the Montante library.

Cite a minimum of three credible sources

According to Nieswiadomy and Bailey (2018) mixed methods research is becoming increasingly popular as it is used to investigate complex issues that influence health and health outcomes. Mixed methods research allows investigators to use both the qualitative and quantitative data-gathering and analyzing methods available. As it combines both quantitative and qualitative study designs, it creates evidence that is stronger, combining multi-level perspectives and cultural influences to understand complex real-life problems. Nieswiadomy and Bailey (2018) mention that when designing a study that utilizes mixed methods design, the researcher must consider underlying philosophical and theoretical framework as well as the resources that are available to conduct the study and the research question or issue. There are six strategies identified for mixed methods research which includes sequential explanatory, sequential exploratory, sequential transformative, concurrent triangulation, concurrent nested, and concurrent transformative. These strategies differ in the order of data collection, the aim of the research and whether a theoretical framework exists (Nieswiadomy & Bailey, 2018).

My research aims to measure if more in-depth breastfeeding education and support can improve breastfeeding outcomes within the first year of life. Throughout my discussions from the last couple of weeks I have mentioned that despite the World Health Organization’s recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months, many women quickly stop breastfeeding after being discharged from the hospital. I believe this is partly because women do not have the support and education that they need regarding breastfeeding after they are discharged. This can not only lead to infants not getting the nutrition that they need, but can impact mother-baby bonding, and can lead mothers to feeling like a failure, which can predispose them to postpartum depression.

I could use the sequential exploratory strategy to improve breastfeeding support and education with the hopes of improving breastfeeding outcomes. According to Nieswiadomy and Bailey (2018), with this strategy the researcher first collects and analyzes qualitative data, followed by quantitative data collection and analysis. “This strategy may be used when a phenomenon is poorly understood, to test elements of a theory, to explore possible generalization of qualitative data to a specific population, or for instrument development and testing (Nieswiadomy & Bailey, 2018). In my research, I could first interview mothers on their knowledge about breastfeeding, their support system, their past experiences with breastfeeding and their perceived barriers to breastfeeding. This would be qualitative data collection. I could then use this data to create interventions that would improve breastfeeding support and education. I would then create a study where I could test to see if those that received those interventions had greater breastfeeding outcomes than those that received the standard education provided to mothers before hospital discharge.

References



Nieswiadomy, R.M., & Bailey, C. (2018). Foundations of nursing research (7th ed.). Pearson.