Breastfeeding Trends at a Community Breastfeeding Center: An Evaluative Survey

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Community Breastfeeding Center's (CBC) impact on clients' breastfeeding experiences. DESIGN: Retrospective survey; participants were mailed a questionnaire. SETTING: A hospital-based drop-in center operated jointly by the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit and Headwaters Health Care Center and offering professional breastfeeding support and peer interaction. PARTICIPANTS: The 164 mothers of singleton births, both inpatients and community clients, who attended the CBC during a 10-month period in 1996-1997 and completed a survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A mailed survey with forced-choice and open-ended questions. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 90.9% rated their overall CBC experience as excellent or good. Seventy-three percent of respondents breastfed for 4 months or longer. Primiparae and mothers of preterm infants tended to visit the CBC more frequently, while achieving duration rates similar to other subgroups. Returning to work was the reason most frequently cited for stopping breastfeeding (35%). CONCLUSION: The CBC is an effective community support strategy to lengthen breastfeeding duration and enhance clients' satisfaction with their breastfeeding experience.