Background:

With strict public health measures implemented in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many breastfeeding parents, who are within an at-risk population, have experienced limited formal and/or informal breastfeeding social support. In the Canadian context, the experiences of these women is unknown.

Research Aim:

To explore the experiences of at-risk postpartum breastfeeding women in accessing formal and informal breastfeeding social support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

This was a prospective, longitudinal interpretive description study using mixed methods. Data were gathered using an online survey and one 52–112-min semi-structured interview at 12-weeks postpartum. At-risk breastfeeding participants were those who lack social support and had at least one of the following: age < 25 years; experiencing or had experienced intimate partner violence; or of low income. We sought participants’ experiences of accessing breastfeeding social support during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic/lockdown. Seven participants completed the survey and the interview.

Results:

Participants identified that the COVID-19 pandemic created barriers to accessing formal and informal breastfeeding social support, which stemmed from public health restrictions and difficulties communicating online with families and healthcare providers. Additionally, participants identified that the COVID-19 pandemic/lockdowns facilitated feelings of connectedness, protection, and resiliency.

Conclusion:

We provide preliminary insight into the experiences of trying to access breastfeeding social support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future researchers should seek to prioritize improved communication and resources in supporting breastfeeding during COVID-19 and future pandemics/lockdowns.

中文翻译：

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Covid-19 大流行期间高危妇女获得母乳喂养社会支持的经验

背景：

由于 COVID-19 大流行于 2020 年 3 月实施了严格的公共卫生措施，许多处于高危人群中的母乳喂养父母经历了有限的正式和/或非正式母乳喂养社会支持。在加拿大的背景下，这些女性的经历是未知的。

研究目的：

探讨高危产后母乳喂养妇女在 COVID-19 大流行期间获得正式和非正式母乳喂养社会支持的经历。

方法：

这是一项使用混合方法的前瞻性、纵向解释性描述研究。使用在线调查和产后 12 周的 52-112 分钟半结构化访谈收集数据。有风险的母乳喂养参与者是那些缺乏社会支持并至少具有以下一项的人：年龄<25岁；经历或曾经经历过亲密伴侣暴力；或低收入。我们寻求参与者在 COVID-19 大流行/封锁的头几个月获得母乳喂养社会支持的经验。七名参与者完成了调查和访谈。

结果：

参与者发现，COVID-19 大流行为获得正式和非正式的母乳喂养社会支持造成了障碍，这源于公共卫生限制以及与家庭和医疗保健提供者进行在线交流的困难。此外，参与者发现 COVID-19 大流行/封锁促进了联系、保护和弹性的感觉。

结论：

我们提供了关于在 COVID-19 大流行期间尝试获得母乳喂养社会支持的经验的初步见解。未来的研究人员应优先考虑改善沟通和资源，以在 COVID-19 和未来大流行/封锁期间支持母乳喂养。