Interrupted Breastfeeding: Nursing Diagnosis & Nursing Care Plan
INTERRUPTED BREASTFEEDING
Interrupted Breastfeeding is defined by nanda as a break in the continuity of providing milk to an infant or young child directly from the breasts, which may compromise breastfeeding success and/or nutritional status of the infant/child.
Breastfeeding is a very crucial process in the part of the mother as well as the infant during her child’s first years of life. It is very important to achieve the continuity of breastfeeding a child until his/her desired age. Because breast milk has many benefits to the child. It serves as his/her first source of nourishment and provide protection from the acquisition of certain illnesses. However, breastfeeding can be successfully started during the first days or months of the infant but there are some instances that may cause discontinuity of the process itself. This is called as the interrupted breastfeeding. It is one of the updated nursing diagnoses wherein there is a break in the continuity of the breastfeeding process. It resulted to inability of the mother and significant others to put baby to breast for feeding.
There are several factors that may affect the continuity of breastfeeding process. Some of which are the presence of either illness acquired by the mother or infant, prematurity, and busy schedules due to present employment of mother may cause the interruption of exclusive breastfeeding. In addition to, lack of knowledge in the importance of having a continuous breastfeeding and inability to determine alternative methods can also cause the interruption of the breastfeeding process. These need the mother to wean abruptly the infant from breastfeeding which will then have negative effects for both the mother and the infant.
Causative/Related Factors
- Maternal illness
- infant illness
- Prematurity
- Hectic schedule of mother related to her present employment
Defining Characteristics of interrupted breastfeeding
- Mother’s verbalization of busy schedule at work
- Presence of maternal illness
- Presence of infant illness
- Lack of knowledge on the importance of uninterrupted breastfeeding
- Lack of knowledge on the benefits of breastfeeding
- Gradual or sudden infant’s weight loss
Nursing Assessment for interrupted breastfeeding
| Assessment | Rationale |
| 1. Assess client’s extent of knowledge and about breastfeeding, its importance and benefits for the mother and her child | · This will provide baseline data regarding the knowledge on breastfeeding. It will further determine the exact cause or factors that may impede exclusive breastfeeding. |
| 2. Assess the mother and infant’s present illnesses if there are any | · It will help in the determination of the presence of a problem related to breastfeeding |
| 3. Ask the mother about her present work and her daily schedule | · It will let the nurse know the availability of the mother to breastfeed her child on a daily basis. It will determine if the prescribed feedings are met. |
| 4. Assess the infant for possible signs of malnutrition or any feeding problem | · It will determine if the infant meets the nutritional requirements needed and presence of underlying illness which may disrupt the breastfeeding process |
| 5. assess the presence of support groups and significant others | · It will motivate the mother to achieve continuity of breastfeeding in all the acceptable methods with the help of her immediate family members. |
Desired Outcomes
- Increase mother’s knowledge on the breastfeeding process, its health benefits and its importance
- The mother identifies and demonstrates techniques to sustain lactation until breastfeeding is reinitiated.
- Achieve satisfactory feeding regimen with infant content after feedings and gaining weight appropriately.
- Reduction or no present signs and symptoms of infant malnutrition
- Determine alternative methods related to breastfeeding to achieve the continuity of the process.
- Infant achieve proper nutritional requirement through the recommended amount of breast milk per feeding.
- Achieve weaning and cessation of lactation if desired or necessary.
Interrupted breastfeeding Nursing Interventions/Rationale
| Nursing interventions | Rationale |
| Independent | |
| 1. Explain to the client and significant others the correct breastfeeding, health benefits and importance of the continuity of the process | · It will educate the mother and immediate relatives about the importance of continuity of breastfeeding. It does not only need to have a successful start of the process but to have continue it until the desired time. |
| 2. Encourage discussion of current/previous breastfeeding experience(s). | · It will serve as a basis whether the mother has an experience in breastfeeding or not. It will promote better understanding and compliance with the process if this has been done before. |
| 3. Determine maternal responsibilities, routines, scheduled activities, and present employment | · These factors will help the nurse determine if the feeding schedule of the infant is being met or not. It will let the mother prioritize breastfeeding her child at the expected schedule of the day. |
| 4. Determine presence of maternal and infant illnesses | · It will determine factors that may affect the continuous breastfeeding process. |
| 5. Determine cultural beliefs and practices on breastfeeding | · This will prevent disruption of breastfeeding. It will not contradict the beliefs and the facts on breastfeeding |
| 6. Give emotional support to mother and accept decision regarding cessation/continuation of breastfeeding if necessary. | · This will let the mother gain her self-esteem in continuing or stopping the breastfeeding as needed. Explain reasons for such decision for better understanding of the mother and significant others. |
| 7. If vices are suspected and observed such as use of tobacco, drinking alcohol, etc, suggest cessation of such activities as it may affect the milk production and has harmful effects to the infants during breastfeeding process | · Proper health education can prevent occurrence of disease for both the mother and her child. |
| 8. Discuss proper use and choice of supplemental nutrition and alternate feeding method if needed | · This is to promote the continuity of breastfeeding in all acceptable methods. |
| 9. Encourage the mother to have an adequate rest, maintain fluid and nutritional intake, and schedule breast pumping every 3 hours while awake as indicated to sustain adequate milk production and breastfeeding process. | · This will provide a fixed schedule on feeding the infant on a regular basis for him/her to receive the recommended amount of breast milk per feeding. |
| Collaborative | |
| 1. Refer to support groups and community resources if needed | · This will help in monitoring the continuity of the mother to breastfeed her child. |