THE PERCEPTIONS OF MARRIED MEN ON BREASTFEEDING PRACTICE

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: Breastfeeding is the common practice for women soon after birth. As early as the baby is born, the mother will start to have milk production and enhance lactation period post-delivery. Thus, the mother becomes naturally embrace with the needs of breastfeeding, even for the first time mother. However, men somehow shows lack of awareness towards breastfeeding practice and have little information regarding the support required during the practice and the impacts of the support.

Materials and Methods: The objectives of this study were to explore the perceptions of married men on breastfeeding practice and to identify the men’s understanding as well as the experience during breastfeeding practice. Methodology: A qualitative study employed semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted among married man in Kuantan. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.  

Result: The married men perceived that the breastfeeding practice is essential to provide nutrients and antibody for the child’s growth. They expressed the feelings of being motivated during the breastfeeding which enabled them to motivate their wife to continue the breastfeeding practice. The commonest challenges that shared by the married was to ensure their baby to have enough stock of breast milk and to sacrifice their sleeping time in order to support the continuity of breastfeeding practice.  Despite these challenges, they acknowledged that it is their responsibility to support and care for their wife throughout breastfeeding practice.

Conclusion: The married men perceived that breastfeeding practice is an important element to provide basic necessities and good nourishment for the children’s growth. Their understandings, experiences, beliefs, responsibilities and challenges faced during the breastfeeding practices were explained in this study.

Keywords: Married men, breastfeeding practice, perceptions, experiences, challenges, support, responsibilities.