"I Had One Job and That Was To Make Milk".

J Hum Lact

1 Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.

Published: February 2017

Background: For very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, breastfeeding may no longer be an immediate option. Mothers often turn to mechanically expressing their milk with a breast pump to provide their infants human milk. Research aim: This study aimed to describe mothers' experiences expressing milk for their VLBW infants in a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods: Qualitative, phenomenological methods were used to better understand the milk expression experiences of 17 mothers of VLBW infants. In-depth interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step protocol, and themes were identified to illustrate the lived experience of the mothers.

Results: Five global themes emerged from interviews with mothers. However, this article focuses on one global theme, "I had one job and that was to make milk," and the supporting subthemes: (1) "I was heartbroken," (2) "Pumping is a full-time thing," and (3) "I literally sacrificed nights."

Conclusion: This study provides insight into the complex experience that mothers in the southeastern United States undergo when expressing milk for their VLBW infants.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0890334416679382DOI Listing

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