"A PRE-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DEMONSTRATION METHOD ON PRACTICE REGARDING BREASTFEEDING TECHNIQUE AMONG POSTNATAL MOTHERS AT DHARAMPUR, BAREILLY U.P."

Effective breastfeeding is crucial for infant and mother's health. Breastfeeding is a process of feeding an infant or young child with milk from mother's breasts. Babies have a suckling urge that enables them to take-in the milk, provided there is a good latch, a good position and milk supply. Adequate practical skills among postnatal mothers are essential to prevent the common breastfeeding difficulties. Despite the importance of correct breastfeeding technique, some postnatal mother may have inadequate practical skills. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a demonstration method in improving breastfeeding practices among postnatal mothers. A pre-experimental study was conducted in Dharampur, Bareilly, U.P. The sample size taken was 30 postnatal mothers, sampling technique used was Non-Probability Purposive sampling technique. The data collection tool was (1) demographic data and (2) Self-structured Observation Checklist. The statistical analysis was done by SPSS software. The results showed that mean post-test score (21.47 ± 2.05) was higher than the mean pre-test score (11.27 ± 2.35). The mean difference was 10.20, which showed improvement in practice after demonstration. The calculated t-value (21.13) was higher than the table value (2.05), indicating a statistically significant improvement in breastfeeding practice after the intervention (p<0.05). The findings revealed that majority of mothers had poor practice regarding correct breastfeeding technique in pre-test. After the intervention, the level of practice was enhanced. In conclusion, the demonstration method proved to be a simple yet powerful tool in bridging the gap between knowledge and practice, ensuring that every mother is better equipped to nurture her child for a healthier future.