Hamnøy Ingvild Lande, Kjelsvik Marianne, Baerug Anne Bergljot, Dahl Berit Misund
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Ålesund, Norway.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health, Oslo, Norway.
Int Breastfeed J. 2025 May 13;20(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s13006-025-00730-8.
Including fathers as breastfeeding facilitators and providing qualified breastfeeding counselling from healthcare professionals are key factors that increase breastfeeding outcomes. It is essential to explore how healthcare professionals can effectively support fathers in navigating their roles and addressing the challenges they encounter to promote breastfeeding. We aimed to explore fathers' experiences of being in a breastfeeding family with a particular focus on their interactions with midwives and public health nurses during breastfeeding counselling. The purpose was to gain deeper insights into the phenomenon of breastfeeding counselling from the father's perspective to develop knowledge that can better help fathers support breastfeeding mothers.
A qualitative content analysis with a phenomenological hermeneutic approach was employed using individual interviews with ten fathers in Norway between January and October 2022. The study adhered to the COREQ Checklist for reporting.
The meaning of fathers` experiences of being in a breastfeeding family and receiving breastfeeding counselling was formulated into three interrelated themes: being a caregiver and breastfeeding facilitator, meaning to be prepared for the father's role and supporting mother and child; being part of a breastfeeding family which means being included or excluded in breastfeeding counselling, desire to nurture parent-child bonds and develop resilience as a couple. Managing everyday life means making their own decisions, and competent breastfeeding counsellors provide security and trust, while inadequate counselling leaves fathers feeling trapped in a chaotic situation.
To enable fathers to fulfil their roles as caregivers and breastfeeding facilitators, healthcare professionals should actively encourage their participation and involvement in breastfeeding counselling and discussions regarding breastfeeding. Additionally, to help fathers navigate daily life confidently, healthcare professionals must offer qualified breastfeeding counselling, be aware of their needs and provide appropriate support. Empowering fathers to support breastfeeding may contribute to promoting breastfeeding, closer relationships and better health for the family.
让父亲成为母乳喂养的促进者，并由医疗保健专业人员提供合格的母乳喂养咨询，是提高母乳喂养成功率的关键因素。探索医疗保健专业人员如何有效支持父亲履行其角色并应对他们在促进母乳喂养过程中遇到的挑战至关重要。我们旨在探讨父亲在母乳喂养家庭中的经历，特别关注他们在母乳喂养咨询期间与助产士和公共卫生护士的互动。目的是从父亲的角度更深入地了解母乳喂养咨询这一现象，以积累能更好地帮助父亲支持母乳喂养母亲的知识。
采用现象学诠释学方法进行定性内容分析，于2022年1月至10月对挪威的十位父亲进行了个人访谈。该研究遵循了COREQ报告清单。
父亲在母乳喂养家庭中的经历以及接受母乳喂养咨询的意义被归纳为三个相互关联的主题：成为照顾者和母乳喂养促进者，意味着为父亲角色做好准备并支持母婴；成为母乳喂养家庭的一员，这意味着在母乳喂养咨询中被接纳或排斥，渴望培养亲子关系并增强夫妻间的适应能力。应对日常生活意味着做出自己的决定，称职的母乳喂养顾问能提供安全感和信任感，而不充分的咨询会让父亲们感到陷入混乱局面。
为使父亲能够履行其作为照顾者和母乳喂养促进者的角色，医疗保健专业人员应积极鼓励他们参与母乳喂养咨询以及有关母乳喂养的讨论。此外，为帮助父亲自信地应对日常生活，医疗保健专业人员必须提供合格的母乳喂养咨询，了解他们的需求并给予适当支持。赋予父亲支持母乳喂养的能力可能有助于促进母乳喂养、增进家庭关系并改善家庭健康状况。
