The Power of Social Support in Adolescent Breastfeeding

Introduction

Breastfeeding is critical in a baby's life, especially for babies with low birthweight (LBW), the leading cause of death in neonates. Breastfeeding benefits both moms and children; however, teenagers commence and maintain breastfeeding at a lower rate than adults. A study reported that 43 % of adolescent moms began breastfeeding, compared to 65 % of women aged 20 to 29 years and 75 % of those over 30. Nurses frequently assist moms in the initial postpartum period with nursing their babies; their social support might influence teenagers' breastfeeding experiences and decisions to commence and maintain breastfeeding.

What Is the Importance of Breastfeeding in Infants?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends solely nursing throughout the first six months of a baby's life, with no additional substances other than vitamins, minerals, or medications, and continuing breastfeeding until the kid is two years old. Appropriate care, particularly the ongoing use of breast milk as the primary source of sustenance for newborns, is expected to reduce the risk of infant death, especially in low birth weight infants (LBW). In addition, breast milk intake by LBW neonates has also been associated with lower rates of infection and necrotic enterocolitis (a condition commonly encountered by neonates) and improved neurodevelopment.

Why Do Adolescent Mothers Need Social Support?

Social supports for adolescent mothers mostly come from their parents or family and their husbands or the father of their child; these supports tend to be positive but relatively low due to inadequate information about exclusive breastfeeding from those closest to the mothers.

Therefore, using improved health promotion to enhance the knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding in parents, family members, and those closest to adolescent mothers is expected to foster the motivation to breastfeed.

What Kind of Social Support Is Needed for Breastfeeding Adolescent Mothers?

Adolescent moms require social support from those closest to them to assist them through challenging breastfeeding action conditions. There are two characteristics of social support that are helpful ways to support breastfeeding adolescent mothers -

1. Network Support: It is defined as assistance in maintaining and activating ties with peers and significant people who can provide breastfeeding support to adolescent mothers.
2. Esteem Support: It is defined as an agreement, reasonable, and encouragement of esteem support.

How Can Adolescents Mothers Be Helped?

There are four types of helpful behavior that can help to support a breastfeeding adolescent mother:

1. Emotional Support: Empathy, trust, and care are all conveyed through emotional support activities.
2. Informational Support: The behaviors of informational support provide information, ideas, commands, and advice.
3. Instrumental Support: Includes behaviors that include providing practical and concrete aid.
4. Appraisal Support: These behaviors include encouraging advice and comments.

How to Provide Informational Support to Breastfeeding Adolescent Mothers?

Informational assistance refers to information, recommendations, commands, or guidance. When aiding adolescent women with breastfeeding, it is essential to identify informational assistance as a vital need. Adolescents have little understanding of nursing as they may not have attended a class, necessitating informational support in the early postpartum period. Adolescents expect nurses to provide current, accurate, and consistent breastfeeding information. They also find conflicting information widespread and annoying. Adolescent mothers need to be told the breastfeeding benefits and misconceptions. If adolescent mothers are aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, it will reduce the risk of illness. Thus it is necessary to inform them of the benefits of breastfeeding.

What Are the Common Misconceptions Adolescent Mothers Have About Breastfeeding?

Adolescents may require education on common breastfeeding misconceptions. For example, they may assume that breastfeeding is not comfortable or painful. Common misconceptions included the belief that a nursing mother needed to avoid specific foods, that milk production was connected to breast size, and that breastfeeding caused a mother's breasts to sag. On the other hand, some adolescents valued breastfeeding because of the lower cost and convenience, because it facilitated bonding with their infants and could help them lose weight.

What Kind of Emotional Support Do Adolescent Mothers Need During Breastfeeding?

Emotional assistance is very beneficial to adolescent mothers. Empathy, trust, and concern are communicated through emotional support activities. For example, researchers found that most teenagers had difficulty starting breastfeeding and benefited from having someone listen to their worries. In addition, adolescents value empathic recognition of breastfeeding complications for them, especially while returning to work or school. Adolescents are also influenced by their culture and family, notably their mothers and dads of their children. Family habits influence newborn feeding decisions. Thus adolescent moms required reassurance from their spouses and mothers.

What Are the Obstacles Faced by Adolescent Mothers During Breastfeeding?

Adolescent mothers might have difficulty having an adequate breast milk supply since delivery; thus, they stop nursing. Some mothers must return to work soon after giving birth, citing this as another reason for discontinuing nursing. Due to social problems, adolescent mothers sometimes refuse to breastfeed due to depression. Some young mother lacks dedication to nursing their child. Thus prompting people closest to her to suggest that she discontinue nursing.

How Can Nurses Help Adolescent Mothers During Breastfeeding?

The research highlighted the significance of assisting the adolescent mother as she learns to breastfeed. To minimize uncomfortable latches, the nurse should demonstrate how to place and latch her infant correctly. Because adolescents believe that pain during breastfeeding is unavoidable, the nurse must assist the teenage mother in avoiding unpleasant latches by gently instructing her and asking her how the latch feels. Other helpful nurse actions include feeding alongside the mother, being personable and patient, especially if the mother and infant are having difficulty latching, and providing vocal praise and encouragement as the mother learns to breastfeed. Adolescent moms want nurses to regard them as adults and accept their decisions about feeding their babies during this phase.

Conclusion

Adolescents require emotional, informational, and instrumental social assistance to nurse effectively. Therefore, these young moms must emphasize the significance of early aid from nurses, their mothers, and their children's dads in assisting with nursing techniques, offering beneficial information, and encouraging. In addition, identifying teenagers' supportive needs and supportive nurse practices is necessary to help them accordingly.