Breastfeeding experiences of mothers who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic process

Objective: This qualitative study was conducted to phenomenologically examine the breastfeeding experiences of COVID-19 positive mothers who gave birth during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Method: Interpretive phenomenological design was used in this study. The sample of the study consists of 22 mothers who gave birth as COVID positive. The data of the research were collected by video, semi-structured interview form and observation notes on the online platform between October 2021 and January 2022. Content analysis was done according to Granaheim and Lundman. Results: As a result of the interviews with the participants, three themes and fifteen sub-themes were formed. The conditions affecting the breastfeeding process of the participants who started the postpartum period in the COVID-19 pandemic were explained with the theme of being a mother in changing care. This theme consists of sub-themes "first of all, baby's health / altruistic mothers", "like being in prison", "perception of stigma", and "delayed mother-baby reunion". Emotions in the breastfeeding process are explained with the theme of the cycle of emotions in the process. In this theme, there are sub-themes "desiring to breastfeed", "disappointment", "sadness", "fear", "guilt" and "happiness". The other theme is coping with a cold spring. This theme consisted of five sub-themes: "believing that breastfeeding will protect against diseases", "combating breastfeeding problems", "coping with loneliness in the process of becoming a mother", "supporting" and "taking refuge in divine power". Conclusion: It has been determined that during the quarantine period, women tend to breastfeed as a result of seeing their babies' health as more important than their own health, that women who want to breastfeed face different problems, their support needs increase, and they experience different emotions in this process.