Last update:
09-Mar-2024

OBJECTIVE To investigate women's shared decision-making regarding medication intake during lactation, to assess breastfeeding women's attitudes towards medication intake and to evaluate their level of satisfaction with healthcare professionals' (HPs) counseling on medication intake during lactation.

METHOD This was a prospective, descriptive cohort study conducted in five tertiary maternity hospitals during January–December 2020. A total of 847 mothers participated and data were collected using a structured questionnaire during mothers' hospitalization in the maternity hospital and then by telephone interviews at the 1st, 3rd and 6th month postpartum.

RESULTS A percentage of 46.5% of the mothers stated that they would avoid medication during lactation as it was their "personal attitude", while 49.9% were satisfied with professional counseling on medication intake during lactation. The majority of mothers (72.7%) responded that they would be involved in the decision-making process concerning medication intake during lactation, while factors that were significantly associated with maternal involvement in decision-making were education level, ethnicity, non-employment at six months postpartum, type of delivery, previous breast feeding experience, medication intake during lactation for chronic diseases, maternal satisfaction with professional counseling on medication during lactation, source of information, breastfeeding status in the first and sixth month and smoking before pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS In order to improve breastfeeding indicators, maternal satisfaction regarding professional counseling and maternal involvement in the decision-making process, HPs must enhance their evidence-based knowledge, communication skills, confidence, and competence.

Key words: Attitudes, Beliefs, Lactation, Medication, Shared decision-making.