Effects of parity on breastfeeding: a study in the rural setting in northern Thailand.

UNLABELLED: This analysis was undertaken to see whether or not previous successful breastfeeding has any influence on subsequent breastfeeding behavior. Lactational outcomes were compared between those with and without breastfeeding experience. METHODS: Amount of breast milk transferred, frequency of breastfeeding, and time spent on the breast, as well as infant's weight, were recorded on days 15, 45, 90, 180, 270, and 360 postpartum in 30 primiparae and 30 multiparae. Outcomes of the primiparae were found to be similar to those of the more experienced breastfeeding multiparous mothers with respect to infant growth, amount of breast milk transferred, and the frequency of breastfeeding or number of attachments to the breast. Though primiparae took somewhat longer to transfer similar amounts of breast milk to their infants during the initial 45 to 90 days postpartum, feed duration after 90 days was similar to that of the multiparae. Lactation performance of the rural northern Thai mothers in our sample was highly successful with or without previous breastfeeding experience. It may be that a cultural pattern of breastfeeding on demand, strong family support, and traditional practices that encourage close contact between mother and her newborn compensate for the absence of lactational experience. Unlike reports from Western countries, previous breastfeeding does not appear to be an important predictor of successful and prolonged breastfeeding in our population.

Successful sustained lactation following postpartum tubal ligation.

This study was undertaken to see whether tubal ligation performed within days postpartum, and associated with a delay in the initiation of breastfeeding, exerts a disruptive influence on successfully establishing lactation among the rural population of northern Thailand. Lactational performance of 12 rural northern Thai mothers was not affected by the delay in reunion of mothers with their babies as a result of postpartum tubal sterilization procedure when compared with a group of 8 other healthy mothers and babies. The volume of breast milk transferred, frequency of breastfeeding and the total feeding time spent on the breast were similar on days 15, 45, 90, 180 and 360 postpartum. This finding suggests that the pattern of intense breastfeeding activity as practiced by this group of mothers has a stronger influence on prolonged and successful lactation than early contact in the immediate postpartum period.