Jordanian women's postpartum beliefs: an exploratory study.

Full Abstract

This study was aimed to determine the beliefs among Jordanian women regarding 10 selected postpartum behaviours. Following Human Subjects approval, a descriptive quantitative questionnaire was administered to 40 postpartum women, 20 from two rural communities and 20 from two urban communities. The majority believed, incorrectly, in prolonged bed rest, that the baby's exhalation on the mother's breast can lead to infection, that kofaleyas (tightly secured wraps around the baby) do not harm newborns, that observation by others while nursing might 'steal' the mother's milk, and that a belt around the mother's abdomen will tighten muscles. The majority correctly believed that dieting affects breast-feeding. Most postpartum women could benefit from increased education about postpartum practices. Educational programmes can help women differentiate between helpful postpartum practices and those which might have adverse effects on the health of a mother and her newborn.

Author information

Author/s: Jarrah, Samiha (S); Bond, A Elaine (AE);

Affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: International journal of nursing practice (Int J Nurs Pract), published in Australia. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Oct; vol 13 (issue 5) : pp 289-95

Dates: Created 2007/09/21; Completed 2007/12/13;

PMID: 17883715, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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