Frequency of breast head problems in breastfeeding mothers, factors affecting their occupation and its effect on breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a unique process that provides physical, hormonal and psychological sharing between mother and baby, has proven benefits for mother and baby in the near and long term. Although 98% of women do not have a physiological obstacle to breastfeeding, most of the mothers report that they have difficulties with breastfeeding in the first months after birth and nipple problems are the first of these difficulties. Although there are many studies in the literature about what nipple problems are and how they occur, there are not many studies on breastfeeding counseling can provide a solution to nipple problems. This study was designed to understand the effect of breastfeeding counseling on the frequency of occurrence of nipple problems during breastfeeding, starting from the pregnancy period. In our country, these trainings are often given by health professionals who have received the "Breastfeeding Counseling" training given within the scope of the "Baby-friendly Health Institutions" study carried out by the Ministry of Health in primary health care institutions and hospitals. In the context, it is aimed to determine the frequency, types and qualities of nipple problems experienced by women during breastfeeding. In addition, it is aimed to determine how the "Breastfeeding Counseling" given to breastfeeding women affects the frequency of nipple problems. The research is a descriptive, prospective study. The study was calculated by taking voluntary informed consent form from 316 women by calculating the sample size among women aged 0-2 who had a baby and were breastfeeding, who applied to the Ankara Baskent University Hospital Pediatrics and Obstetrics Polyclinics for any reason. In our study, nipple problems were detected in 61,1% (193) of the participants during the breastfeeding process of their last baby. It was determined that 70,3% (29,7) of the participants received breastfeeding training in their last pregnancy. Despite the high number of participants who received breastfeeding training, a significant decrease in the incidence of nipple problems was not observed in these participants. For this reason, it is necessary to give importance to family physicians gaining sufficient knowledge and equipment for breastfeeding counseling training in primary care clinics. Key words: Breastfeeding, Nipple Problems, Breastfeeding Counseling