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| Author | Anne Marie Ciantar |
| Abstract | The midwives have a central place in promoting and supporting the mothers to breastfeed during their short stay at the postnatal ward. The quality of postnatal care given by midwives influences the confidence of mothers in initiating breastfeeding by providing information, through education and practical help. The aim of this study was to explore midwives' promotion in breastfeeding on the postnatal ward at a local general hospital setting in Malta. The objectives were to explore how midwives in the postnatal ward carry out their role as health promoters in breastfeeding; to examine if health promotion in breastfeeding is perceived to target the needs of the mothers in the postnatal ward; to look at factors which facilitate or hinder the midwives' role when promoting breastfeeding in the postnatal ward. The data was collected by means of self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. It was distributed using a convenience sample of 20 midwives having various midwifery qualifications who were working or previously worked on the postnatal ward at a local general hospital in Malta. Sixteen participants responded the questionnaire, obtaining a response rate of 75%. The findings indicate that midwives on the postnatal ward support the importance of their role as health promoters in breastfeeding. The midwives stressed the importance of having breastfeeding policies and training on how to promote breastfeeding and support mothers in initiating breastfeeding so that they as health professionals provide consistent advice through such guidelines. From their experience the midwives indicated that certain hospital practices such as providing assistance to breastfeeding mothers need to be implemented when they are on the postnatal ward. |
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| Key words | Midwives, Health Promotion, Breastfeeding, Postnatal Ward, Thesis |