Associations of Maternal Beliefs and Distress in Pregnancy and Postpartum With Breastfeeding Initiation and Early Cessation

Background:Breastfeeding plays an important role in both maternal and infant health and well-being. While researchers have examined the relationship between postpartum psychological distress and breastfeeding behaviors, few have investigated links between prenatal distress, postpartum distress, and breastfeeding behaviors over time.Research Aim:We aimed to determine if prenatal breastfeeding beliefs and psychological distress during and after pregnancy were associated with initiation and early cessation rates of breastfeeding.Methods:In our secondary data analysis, a nonexperimental longitudinal one-group design was used. We assessed pregnant women (N = 70) during four perinatal visits (early, mid, and late pregnancy and 7-10 weeks postpartum). Participants completed self-report surveys about psychological distress and depressive symptoms at each visit, breastfeeding beliefs during the third visit, and breastfeeding behaviors at the postpartum visit.Results:Participants who breastfed for ⩾8 weeks had more...