Exploring the Role of Emotional Support in Lactation Care: Perspectives of Mothers and Lactation Care Providers

BACKGROUND: Lactation care providers (LCPs) are vital in supporting breastfeeding mothers. However, research on the emotional aspects of their work remains limited. This study investigated mothers' and LCPs' perceptions of the emotional aspects of lactation care and whether they differed by background characteristics and LCPs qualifications. METHODS: Following phone calls or written correspondence, 149 LCPs (43.6% International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants [IBCLCs], 29.5% Registered Nurses Lactation Consultants [RNLCs], and 26.8% Lactation Educators [LEs]) and 201 mothers completed an identical 10-item online quantitative questionnaire assessing expectations of emotional support in lactation care and perceptions of providers' competence and training adequacy in this domain. Mothers reported the duration of lactation care received. RESULTS: LCPs perceived emotional support as part of their role but hesitated to engage in this domain. Confidence in providing emotional support was higher among RNLCs compared to IBCLCs and LEs. Mothers expected emotional support from their LCPs but questioned whether they were adequately trained. Mothers assisted by IBCLCs perceived them as significantly more capable of providing emotional support than those assisted by RNLC or LEs. A longer lactation care duration was associated with mothers' positive perceptions of emotional support in lactation care. CONCLUSION: LCPs and mothers perceive emotional support as an important aspect of lactation care. However, they reported challenges in delivering and engaging in this aspect. These findings underscore the need to incorporate structured training in emotional support into the education and professional development of LCPs.