Mother’s and father’s perceived experiences of breastfeeding a preterm infant in a neonatal intensive care unit

Key Points

• Breastfeeding a preterm infant poses significant emotional and logistical challenges for parents, impacting their overall experience.
• Qualitative insights from interviews indicate that parents often feel anxious and insecure about their ability to successfully breastfeed in the NICU environment.
• Observational analysis in neonatal intensive care units helps illustrate the diverse perceptions and emotional struggles parents face during this critical time.
• These findings may enable healthcare providers to better support parents, fostering a more inclusive environment for breastfeeding in NICUs.