Project Materials

AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION ON EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING AS A BIRTH CONTROL METHOD AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CLINIC IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to investigate pregnant women’s understanding and perceptions of exclusive breastfeeding as a birth control approach at prenatal clinics in rural communities. Specifically, the study determined the attendance level of women in rural areas to antenatal classes, investigated the level of awareness among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in rural communities about exclusive breastfeeding as a birth control method, and assessed the accuracy of this method of birth control among women in rural areas. The study used a survey descriptive research design. The survey generated 77 validated replies. The study used Bulatao and Lee’s (1983) fertility decision-making model, as well as Becker’s (1974) health belief and promotion models. According to the responses collected and assessed, pregnant women in rural areas attend prenatal classes at a moderate rate. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of pregnant women in rural regions visit antenatal clinics and are aware of exclusive breastfeeding as a means of birth control. The study recommends that rural women be educated on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. Furthermore, rural women should be encouraged to attend antenatal classes.

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Breastfeeding is the process of giving a newborn the mother’s milk, either directly into the baby’s mouth or by expressed breast milk. Breast milk is divided into two types: colostrum, which is the initial yellowish and sticky milk produced by the mother’s breasts from 37 weeks of gestation to about seven days after delivery, and mature milk, which is whitish in colour and begins to be produced effectively around the tenth day after delivery (Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, 2014).

According to Bartick and Reinhold (2010), clinicians recognise the importance of breast feeding for infant health in developing countries, but they may be unaware of the potential long-term health benefits for mothers and newborns in affluent countries, particularly in terms of obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol, and cancer.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding (only breast milk, no water, other drinks, or meals), followed by two years of complementary breast feeding.

This approach has been accepted by governments in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, but it also poses a substantial challenge in nations such as Nigeria and the United States, where breast feeding rates have been low for decades and sometimes appear astoundingly difficult to change (Bartick et al 2010).