Experiences of lactating nursing students: a qualitative study among nursing training institutions in the Northeast Region, Ghana

Abstract

Background
The ideal nourishment for infants is breastmilk, which is necessary for their growth and development. However, nursing programs are time-consuming and demanding. The study aimed to assess the experiences of lactating nursing students in Health Training Institutions in the North East Region of Ghana.

Methods
An exploratory cross-sectional design with a qualitative approach was used to investigate lactating nursing students’ experiences in practicing breastfeeding on campus. A saturation threshold was realized after conducting 10 interviews using a purposeful sampling method. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyze the data.

Results
Three themes emerged; experiences of lactating nursing students towards breastfeeding, intention of lactating nursing students towards breastfeeding, and feeding methods employed by lactating nursing students. All participants would like to breastfeed their children. The study showed that there was a lack of social support (e.g., lecturers) and the nature of the college learning environment does not also support lactating students.  To make up for lectures and studies, some lactating mothers employ the services of relatives or nannies when they have to attend lectures. This according to the participants increases their cost of living. Some lactating mothers expressed breastmilk into feeding bottles whilst others introduced complementary feeding to their babies younger than recommended. Furthermore, almost all participants lamented that clinical practicum placement far from their homes leads to ineffective breastfeeding.

Conclusion
The study showed that almost all lactating mothers had intentions of breastfeeding their babies.  However, lack of support from the school and lecturers, stress emanating from the coursework, and the increased cost associated with keeping nannies have been identified as barriers to the effective breastfeeding of babies. The study recommends that a breastfeeding support policy or framework that outlines student rights, as well as lecturers, colleges, and universities’ obligations to promote breastfeeding among lactating nursing mothers, should be formulated.