Objective: To determine if the incidence of breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks postpartum differs for a mother who had a (usual) 48-hour length of hospital stay versus a mother with a (shortened) 24-hour length of stay and what factors influenced the change from breastfeeding to bottle feeding.
Design: A descriptive two-group survey.
Participants: A convenience sample of 101 primiparous breastfeeding women who had vaginal deliveries of healthy newborns and were between 6 and 8 weeks postpartum.
Outcome measure: The incidence of breast and bottle feeding at 6 to 8 weeks postpartum and what perceived factors influenced the decision to change to bottle feeding.
Conclusions: No difference was found in the incidence of breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks postpartum for mothers who had a 48-hour length of stay versus mothers who had a 24-hour length of stay with a home visit. Additional studies of the factors influencing change from breast to bottle feeding should be conducted.