Achieving sufficient milk supply supports mothers to cope with premature birth.

Aim: To explore whether and how expressing breast milk is perceived as helpful in coping with negative emotions due to premature birth by mothers of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

Methods: Qualitative interviews and a retrospective cross-sectional questionnaire with mothers of VLBW infants were conducted and analysed using an exploratory sequential mixed-method design. Hypotheses were built using qualitative content analysis and quantitatively tested using multivariate regression analysis.

Lactation support in neonatal intensive care units in Germany from the mothers' perspective - a mixed-method study of the current status and needs.

Background: Establishing successful lactation in mothers of very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500g) infants requires structured lactation support. Little is known about mothers' perspectives on lactation support in German neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Methods: This paper features a convergent mixed-method approach that includes a retrospective, cross-sectional questionnaire and interview data to showcase mothers' perceptions of lactation support in NICUs.

Pressure to provide milk among mothers of very low birth weight infants: an explorative study.

Background: Pump-dependent mothers of very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500g) infants experience specific challenges achieving sufficient milk supply in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and are therefore less frequently able to achieve (exclusive) breast milk feeding. Stress due to the limitations on participating in the infant's care may contribute to this problem. Some explorative studies suggest that pressure to provide milk may be an additional stressor in mothers.