INTRODUCTION: The aim of this research is to determine the effect of the body image of pregnancy on the breastfeeding attitude and the postpartum breastfeeding process.
METHODS: The sample of the study consisted of 242 pregnant women who applied to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic of a public hospital. Personal information form, Breastfeeding Attitudes of The Evaluation Scale (BAES) and The Multidimensional Body- Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) were administered by face-to-face interview method at the first visit. At the end of the sixth month, mothers were contacted by telephone and the Breastfeeding Process Evaluation Form was applied (n = 113). In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistical methods, Kruskal Wallis test and Spearman correlation analysis were used.
RESULTS: It was determined that 61.2% of pregnants were in the age range of 18-25 years, 31.4% of them were high school graduates, 85.1% were not working and 66.1% had a moderate level of income. The mean of the mean scores of the pregnant women were 209.02 ± 19.80; The average score of BAES is 107.95 ± 12.74. There was a significant positive correlation between the mean scores of MBSRQ scale and BAES scores (p <0.000, r = 0.249). During the postnatal period, 77% of the mothers nursed their babies, 54.1% of the mothers suckled for 5-6 months, 49.4% of them fed their babies for 6 months only with breast milk and 50.6% mixed. It was determined that there was no significant difference between the nutritional status of the breastfeeding status, duration of breastfeeding and the baby during 6 months of postpartum period and MBSRQ points average (p> 0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Women with a positive body image in pregnancy were found to have higher breastfeeding attitudes. It was determined that the body image in the pregnancy did not affect the postnatal breastfeeding process.