Lactation Management Techniques Possessed by Women in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State

Abstract

The study investigated the lactation management techniques possessed by women in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State. Five research questions and three null-hypotheses guided the study. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population for the study was three hundred and fifty-five (355) child bearing mothers registered for antenatal at St. David’s Hospital, Owerri Municipal and Federal Medical Centre Owerri. Two hundred and twenty-one was the sample for the study. A three sectioned researcher designed questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts one from the Department of Guidance and Counselling, and two from the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.   Cronbach Alpha method coefficient was utilized to establish the internal consistency of the instrument and had a reliability index of .800, 871, and .833, descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage. Chi-square statistics were used to test the hypotheses was verified at 0.05 level of significant.  The results of the study showed that the researcher observed that mothers use skin to skin contact with baby and most times use hand milk expression to stimulate milk flow. the study showed that mothers encourage the baby’s lips to open by touching the baby’s lips with the nipples, wait for the baby to open his/her mouth before feeding, support the nipple with fingers, ensuring that the baby has slow deep sucks, and that they allow the baby’s head to be able to flex while holding his/her neck. the researcher concludes that t mothers use of initiation of lactation management techniques do not depend on  their occupation, mothers use of positioning  lactation  techniques   do not  dependent on their  educational level and that  mothers use of post feeding techniques do not dependent on their age. Based on the findings, recommendations among others were made mothers should always breast feed their baby no matter their age so as to enable efficient growth f their baby. Mothers should breast feed their baby no irrespective of their occupation so as to avoid malnutrition of the baby. Mothers should always breast feed their baby irrespective of their educational level so as to hasten the growth of their baby.