Early Breastfeeding Experiences and Postpartum Depression

Financial Disclosure The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest. BACKGROUND: The first weeks after childbirth are a critical period for mother and newborn. Women may present with lactation failure and postpartum depression. It is unclear how a woman's early breastfeeding experiences relate to postpartum depression. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the association between early breastfeeding experiences and postpartum depression at 2 months. METHODS: We modeled this association with logistic regression in a secondary analysis of data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II. We assessed postpartum depression status with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. RESULTS: In the neonatal period, 2,586 women reported ever breastfeeding, among whom 223 (8.6%) met criteria for major depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale 13 or greater) at 2 months postpartum. Women who disliked breastfeeding in the first week were more likely to experience postpartum depression at 2 months (odds ratio [OR] 1.42, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.04–1.93) adjusting for maternal age