Effect of maternal confidence on breastfeeding duration: an application of breastfeeding self-efficacy theory. The effect of breastfeeding on weight gain in infants: results of a birth cohort study. Effect of supplemental fluids on human milk production. The effect of maternal fluid intake on breast milk supply: a pilot study. Prolonged maternal fluid supplementation in breast-feeding.
BACKGROUND Although much research has focused on identifying factors that influence breastfeeding initiation and duration , many high-risk factors are nonmodifiable demographic variables . Predisposing factors for low breastfeeding duration rates that are amenable to supportive interventions should be identified . The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of maternal confidence ( breastfeeding self-efficacy ) on breastfeeding duration . METHOD A prospect i ve survey was conducted with 300 women in the last trimester of pregnancy recruited from the antenatal clinic of a large metropolitan hospital in Brisbane , Australia .  Telephone interviews were conducted at 1 week and 4 months postpartum to assess infant feeding methods and breastfeeding confidence using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale . RESULTS Although 92 percent of participants initiated breastfeeding , by 4 months postpartum almost 40 percent discontinued and only 28.6 percent were breastfeeding exclusively ; the most common reason for discontinuation was insufficient milk supply . Antenatal and 1-week Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale scores were significantly related to breastfeeding outcomes at 1 week and 4 months . Mothers with high breastfeeding self-efficacy were significantly more likely to be breastfeeding , and doing so exclusively , at 1 week and 4 months postpartum than mothers with low breastfeeding self-efficacy . CONCLUSIONS Maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy is a significant predictor of breastfeeding duration and level . Integrating self-efficacy enhancing strategies may improve the quality of healthcare that healthcare professionals deliver and may increase a new mother 's confidence in her ability to breastfeed , and to persevere if she does encounter difficulties The objective of this study was to examine whether duration of exclusive breastfeeding is associated with elevated weight gain in infants during the first two years of life . In this prospect i ve cohort study 2624 healthy term neonates were followed from birth to age 2 years in 4 German study centres . Data on breastfeeding and potential confounders were gathered by question naires . Data on anthropometric measures at birth and age 2 years were obtained from routine st and ardised medical check up documentation . Odds ratios for the association between breastfeeding and weight gain until age 2 years ( > or = 90th sex-specific percentile of the cohort ) were calculated by logistic regression , adjusting for age at introduction and composition of solid food , maternal BMI , maternal smoking during pregnancy , socioeconomic status , study centre , birth order and , in unstratified analysis , sex . Children exclusively breastfed for less than 6 months had a greater risk of elevated weight gain at the age of 2 years than children breastfed for 6 months and more ( OR ( 95 % CI ) : 1.65 ( 1.17 , 2.30 ) ) . Duration of exclusive breastfeeding  was inversely associated with the risk of elevated weight gain in a strongly duration -dependent way . Those infants who were exclusively breastfed 1 month at the most had twice as often elevated weight gain ( OR ( 95 % CI ) : 1.99 ( 1.34 , 2.97 ) ) compared to infants breastfed at least 6 months . Our data show that exclusive breastfeeding protects against elevated weight gain during infancy which may be the first step on the pathway of obesity development The effect of supplemental fluid intake on milk production was evaluated in a r and omized , crossover design study of breast-feeding mothers . Twenty-six women whose infants were growing well with breast-feeding alone were enrolled in the study when their infants were 90 to 120 days of age . Twenty-one women consumed at least a 25 % increase in fluids ( mean 59 % , range 26 % to 140 % ) . Mean daily milk production was 814 + /- 163 ml/day in the baseline period and 797 + /- 157 ml/day during increased fluid intake . There was no significant change in milk production between study periods and no significant relationship between percent increase in fluid intake and change in milk production nor between volume of fluid intake and volume of milk produced To examine the effect of increased and decreased fluids on breast milk supply , a pilot study using a cross-over design with 10 mother-infant pairs was completed . Baseline measures of milk supply were determined over a 3-day period of normal fluid intake based on body weight . Subjects were studied over 3-day periods when fluid intake was alternately 50 % more and 50 % less than normal level . Milk supply was calculated by averaging breast milk intake , determined by test weighing the infants with electronic scales , and milk yield , measured either by total breast expression with an electric breast pump or a combination of expression and test weighing . Although milk supply decreased with decreased fluids and increased with increased fluids , this change was not statistically significant . Recommendations for further research include replication using subjects ' usual fluid intake as a baseline and replication using mothers suspected of insufficient milk syndrome A r and omized , crossover study design was used to evaluate the effect of prolonged maternal fluid supplementation on the milk supply of breast-feeding women . A total of 19 well-nourished women whose infants were solely breast-fed and thriving were enrolled when their infants were 90 to 120 days of age . Of this group , 15 women consumed at least a 25 % increase in fluids above baseline for 7 days . Mean daily milk production was 767 + /- 178 mL for the baseline period and 744 + /- 138 mL for the increased fluid period . There was no significant change in milk production between baseline and increased fluid periods . No significant linear relationship between the percentage increase in fluid intake and percentage change in milk production was found
BACKGROUND Breastfeeding is known to be the biological norm .
Despite this , many women wean their babies because of perceived insufficient breast milk production .
Mothers are sometimes advised to increase their fluid intake in the hope that this could improve breast milk production .
The effect of extra fluid on human breast milk production is not well established , however .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of extra fluid for breastfeeding mothers on milk production/supply and infant growth .
However , this outcome was measured by using test feeds ( also known as test weighing ) .
In the 1950s , when the study was conducted , it was common for babies in developed countries to be weighed before and after a feed , known as test weighing or test feeding .
However , this practice is not now routinely practice d for term infants due to concerns about lack of precision as a measure of breast milk production .