Factors related to maternal perception of milk supply while in the hospital

Background: Perceived insufficient milk supply is a frequent concern and reason for early weaning in Taiwanese mothers. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the factors related to maternal milk supply. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at a medical center in northern Taiwan. A total of 205 healthy mother-infant pairs were recruited. A tool to assess insufficient milk supply developed by P.D. Hill and S.S. Humenick (1996) was used to gather breastfeeding information during each participant’s hospital stay. Results: Infant-feeding methods, planned breastfeeding duration, infant sucking behaviors, family support, and infant sucking patterns were found to explain 35.3% of variance in maternal perception of milk supply. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Mothers in Taiwan are particularly sensitive to infant crying. To prevent mothers from perceiving inadequate milk supply, nurses should encourage postpartum mothers to suckle their infant on the breast and teach mothers breastfeeding skills and how to pacify crying babies. In addition, hospital managers should make policies to minimize bottle and supplementary formula feeding.