The effect of prenatal attachment levels of primary pregnancies on breastfeeding expectations and breastfeeding self-efficiency

The prenatal period covers the process from fertilization to the onset of birth. During this period, mother and fetus try to adapt to a number of developments. The postpartum period is crucial for maintaining mother-baby bonding and breastfeeding. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted to examine the effect of prenatal attachment levels of primiparous pregnant women on breastfeeding expectations and breastfeeding self-efficacy. The study was conducted with 370 primiparous pregnant women who applied to the gynecology and obstetrics outpatient clinic of Tarsus State Hospital between April and December 2024. Personal Information Form, Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (PBSES), Prenatal Attachment Scale (PAS) and Breastfeeding Expectations Scale (BES-A) were used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using the appropriate statistical package program. The mean total score of the BES-A was 18.57±5.37, the mean total score of the PBSES was 82.96±7.58, and the mean total score of the PAS was 64.40±7.59. A negative, moderately significant relationship was found between the total BES-A and the total PBSES. A negative and weakly significant relationship was found between the sum of the BES-A and the PAS. There was no significant relationship between the total of the PBSES and the PAS. As a result of the research, it has been found that as pregnant women's breastfeeding self-efficacy and bonding levels increase, their breastfeeding expectations also improve positively. Keywords: breastfeeding, midwife, pregnant, prenatal attachment, self-effecacy