Abstract
New mothers and returning mothers from birthing units in South Africa are discharged home post-delivery into the hands of their families and their communities. South Africa is popular for its diversity, particularly the different types of cultures and people. The women who go home post-delivery are being supported by their family members and friends who encompass similar values and beliefs as the mothers. The values and beliefs which the mothers hold may vary from those of nurses and policy developers.
The purpose of this study is to understand the feeding practices chosen by mothers during the postnatal period, using a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. Purposive sampling was used by selecting mothers who visit the primary health care facilities with babies in the postnatal period, who are using any feeding method from three to six days postpartum until six months postpartum. In-depth individual audio recorded interviews were conducted to collect data, and the central question posed to the participants was: “How is it for you to feed your baby at home in the absence of nurses to guide you?” Analysis of data was completed using Giorgi’s five steps. The ethical standards of research were adhered to by applying principals of respect, beneficence and justice. Trustworthiness was ensured by applying the principles as described by Guba and Lincoln: credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.
The themes and categories that emerged from the findings were as follows:
Theme 1: Participants’ experiences with feeding their babies at home post-delivery (Theme 1) had three categories, namely: participants had positive experiences with breastfeeding; participants experienced challenges regarding breastfeeding, and participants implemented mixed-feeding practices. Theme 2: Participants’ mothers had considerable influence over their feeding practices (Theme 2) had three categories, as follows: grandmothers encouraged introduction of solid food from an earlier age than recommended by the nurses; grandmothers advocated for the use of traditional medicine and cultural practices; grandmothers and other family members were mostly supportive, but implemented feeding practices. Theme 3: Participants’ personal circumstances influenced their feeding practices (Theme 3) had four categories: participants who are HIV-positive disclosed the difficulties they experienced; participants experienced personal challenges which influenced their feeding practices; participants experienced positive encounters regarding feeding practices; participants received conflicting advice from nurses and their grandmothers.