Effect of Education on Breast Feeding on Primiparous Women

Exclusive breastfeeding is very important for an infant's growth and development. Self-efficacy is a modifiable psychological variable in sustained breastfeeding that is defined as a mother's confidence in her perceived ability about successful exclusive breastfeeding. Self- efficacy beliefs function as an important set of human motivation , affect , and action which operate on action, through motivation, cognitive and affective interventing process. teaching strategies ,based on Bandura,s self-efficacy theory and adult learning principles were incorporated in this research design. In regards with the importance of education in increasing breastfeeding self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding, the current study was conducted in order to compare of the effectiveness of two educational methods, i.e., "Hands on" and" Hands off" on breastfeeding self-efficacy in primiparous mothers. In the present clinical trial, 136 nursing mother were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Participants in the experimental groups received one of the structured one-on-one educational sessions (i.e., hands off or hands on) within the first two hours of giving birth. Mothers in control group received usual postpartum care. Follow-up assessments were conducted one, four, and eight weeks after the birth. Data collection was done through interview forms, examination and observation, checklist of breastfeeding status, breastfeeding self-efficacy and daily-feeding form.