Breastfeeding mothers\u27 experiences using a supplemental feeding tube device: Finding an alternative

Breastfeeding has been universally recognized as the optimal method of infant feeding. Strategies promoting not only initiation, but also successful continuation of breastfeeding, are important in facilitating the breastfeeding experience. However, unique difficulties with breastfeeding may occur with either the mother or the infant, or both, that necessitate specific interventions to prevent early weaning and promote satisfaction with the breastfeeding experience. Special devices have been recommended and used to help breastfeeding mothers overcome various problems. A supplemental feeding tube device (SFTD) is one particular device that permits supplemental nourishment for infants while still preserving the breastfeeding goals of the mother. Despite non-researched based recommendations for use, virtually little is known about the experiences of breastfeeding mothers who use SFTDs. The purpose of this naturalistic study was to describe the experiences of breastfeeding mothers who have used SFTDs. Naturalistic inquiry, a methodology used to understand naturally occurring phenomena as they unfold, guided the conduct of this study. The participants consisted of 22 breastfeeding mothers who used a SFTD to establish or reestablish infant feeding at the breast. The findings were organized into three groups of themes: using a SFTD, managing the SFTD, and evaluating the experience. The cross cutting, underlying theme that emerged from the data was “finding an alternative”. The findings from this study illuminate how the implementation of this technological device facilitates and maintains the complex breastfeeding relationship