TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the process of women's infant feeding decisions in the early postbirth period
AU - Sheehan, Athena
AU - Schmied, Virginia
AU - Barclay, Lesley
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Research indicates that multiple factors are associated with decisions women make about infant feeding, yet few studies have explored the decision-making process. In this article, we present the analysis that produced the core category "deconstructing best," previously reported as part of a grounded theory exploring 37 Australian women's infant feeding experiences and decisions in the first 6 weeks postbirth. We expand on the previous article by detailing and discussing the phases of the infant feeding decision-making process in relation to decision-making theory. Analysis demonstrates the importance of these early weeks in shaping women's infant feeding trajectories. Findings illustrate that information gathering encompassing multiple factors occurred at this time, and that complex and often competing goals were involved in the women's decisions. We suggest that acknowledging and assisting women to meet alternate goals in the postbirth period might help them meet their breastfeeding goals.
AB - Research indicates that multiple factors are associated with decisions women make about infant feeding, yet few studies have explored the decision-making process. In this article, we present the analysis that produced the core category "deconstructing best," previously reported as part of a grounded theory exploring 37 Australian women's infant feeding experiences and decisions in the first 6 weeks postbirth. We expand on the previous article by detailing and discussing the phases of the infant feeding decision-making process in relation to decision-making theory. Analysis demonstrates the importance of these early weeks in shaping women's infant feeding trajectories. Findings illustrate that information gathering encompassing multiple factors occurred at this time, and that complex and often competing goals were involved in the women's decisions. We suggest that acknowledging and assisting women to meet alternate goals in the postbirth period might help them meet their breastfeeding goals.
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/529453
U2 - 10.1177/1049732313490075
DO - 10.1177/1049732313490075
M3 - Article
SN - 1049-7323
VL - 23
SP - 989
EP - 998
JO - Qualitative Health Research
JF - Qualitative Health Research
IS - 7
ER -