Table 5 Summary of key themes identified and selected quotes from included studies
Ecological Level | Themes | Parents’ quotes |
|---|---|---|
Cultural/Societal | Breastfeeding is an accepted cultural practice | “Well I just thought you just put the baby on your breast when it was born, that was it. I never thought about bottles.“ (37) |
Formula and bottle feeding have become normalised | “Especially with the bottle, cordial in the bottle, that’s rotting teeth, my kids got em” (38) | |
Breastfeeding in public is shameful | “I’ll get too shamed out… I’ll probably just put milk in a bottle.“ (39) | |
Community/ Organisational | Access to culturally appropriate nutrition education | “Trained (Aboriginal) nutrition workers. That’d be awesome…really good.“ (38) |
Culturally safe and supportive maternal/infant health services and professionals | “I think a lot of the ACCHO’s really needs to be looking at having our own maternal and child health nurses ‘cos there’s just so much conflict with mainstream ones.“ (38) | |
Relational | Family support | “I really only talk to my family about it… cause they’re the only ones that I would listen to” (39) |
Fathers’ support during breastfeeding | “For me, personally I’m not about to see my woman hanging out her tit” (37) | |
Individual | Breastfeeding is cheap, clean and best for baby | “It’s just much easier and cheaper to breastfeed. I don’t want to spend money on formula.“ (40) |
Mothers’ experiences with previous babies | “[I had] bad experience with first baby – cracked nipples” (41) | |
Concern that baby was not getting enough milk | “She wasn’t feeding properly, and I wasn’t getting enough milk” (40) |