by Amy Spangler
June 18, 2007

Apparently there is no substitute for candor.

Dr. Christa M. Kelleher of the University of Massachusetts interviewed 52 women from Canada and the United States (U.S.) about their breastfeeding experience approximately one month after giving birth. Details of the interviews can be found in the November 2006 issue of Social Science & Medicine.

According to Kelleher, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the women interviewed described breastfeeding as painful and/or uncomfortable. Most of these women were surprised by the extent, intensity, and duration of the discomfort and pain, which reportedly ranged from mild to severe.

Assistance provided by health care professionals was perceived as both positive and negative. Many women reportedly felt overwhelmed, anxious, and guilty. Kelleher concluded that acknowledging the physical challenges of breastfeeding would better validate many women’s breastfeeding experiences.

In other words, if women are told that breastfeeding won’t hurt as long as their baby is positioned well, they will assume they’re doing something wrong if breastfeeding is painful. But if women are told that some mothers describe breastfeeding as painful, health professionals can then define the pain (pulling, tugging, or stretching that occurs at the start of a feeding and lasts only a few seconds) so that mothers will clearly know when to seek help.

If health professionals acknowledge the physical challenges as Kelleher suggests, perhaps mothers will be better able to overcome the psychological challenges—key among them, lack of confidence.

Health professionals can begin by telling women that while making milk is natural, breastfeeding is a learned skill. And like every new skill, it requires patience, practice, and persistence.

Kelleher’s research was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).