Impact of Birth Trauma on Breast-feeding: A tale of Two Pathways - Essay Example

?Introduction This paper has been designed to critically analyse a research study by Beck & Watson (2008) en d ‘Impact of birth trauma on breast-feeding: A tale of two pathways.’ The paper is divided into different categories which seek to critically analyse the following: Purpose for the study, Method, Ethical issues and Biases, Effect on nursing practice and conclusion. The main discussion of the paper will also draw ideas from other scholarly papers and academic references related to this area of study in a bid to critically evaluate the main idea that is being communicated by the authors of the above mentioned research study. The main contents of the paper discussed will be summed up in the conclusion given at the end. Purpose of the study The main purpose of the study was to investigate how traumatic childbirth impacted on the mothers who experienced this situation. In this case, traumatic child birth has been categorised into two segments namely: emotional and physical trauma. In most cases, mothers often undergo unprecedented traumatic experiences during child birth. Somehow, as the study sought to explore, the mothers who often experience this kind of trauma face problems with regards to breastfeeding their children. It is naturally believed that “nothing in the world is more satisfying and healthy for a newborn than its mother’s milk,” (Lothrop, 1995, p.1). However, due to difficult experiences often encountered by some mothers during childbirth, they often fail to give their babies this special gift. In the same vein, Thompson et al (ND, p. 2) suggest that the decrease in Australian breastfeeding rates and the increase in women experiencing breastfeeding complications can be attributed to nipple pain and trauma. The authors in this study conclude that this trend “disrupts the mother-baby union and contributes to the complexities experienced by contemporary breastfeeding women.” However, women who overcome their hurdles with breastfeeding are often strengthened in a way that helps to enrich the quality of their relationships with their children. As such, the study by Beck & Watson (2008) sought to explore the measures that can be implemented by clinicians in order to address post natal traumatic experiences in affected mothers for the betterment of their children. This is very important in as far as healthy development and growth of the child is concerned. Method chosen in the study The researchers chose the phenomenological research method to carry out their study concerned with investigating the essence of women’s breast-feeding experiences after a traumatic childbirth. In general research, this method is used for both interpretive and descriptive studies. In other words, the study will be particularly concerned about giving a vivid description of the problem being investigated in order to come up with reliable answers to the research question. To a larger extent, this research method is good especially to studies of this nature that are descriptive in nature. As noted, the participants were supposed to describe their experiences and this is a reliable way of obtaining information from the participants who will give first hand information. The other reason why this method is good is that it is free from bias since the participants will narrate or describe what they experienced. This helps the researcher to interpret the information such that it can be presented in a meaningful way that can help to provide answers to the research question. Alternative method that could be used The research question for the study is: What is the essence of women’s breast-feeding experiences after a traumatic childbirth? In order to answer this research question, a simple descriptive research design can be used as an alternative. This is meant to count representative samples and make inferences about the whole population. In this case, the sample could be expanded from 52 participants to about hundred so as to enable the researchers to have a wide pool of information that can help in generating reliable results in the study. The sample in the study is a bit small given that the research covers different areas in the world though it specifically focused on New Zealand. Besides that, this country is big which entails that the sample could have been made bigger as well. Biases in the study Overall, the study is credible given that the qualitative method adopted in gathering information is reliable and the researchers focused on the specific area of study. The participants were mainly drawn from the mothers who have experienced traumatic childbirths and the study sought to obtain their descriptions of the feelings they experienced after such a traumatic encounter. However, the only bias in the study is that it mainly focused on internet participants in their research. The main weakness of this method is that only people with internet access could participate in this study which created a gap between those people who could not take part in the study using the internet. According to (Oppenheim, 1992), the method used for data collection in the study determines its reliability. As such in this study, it can be seen that the study was biased to a specific segment in the population which may not be a true representation of the whole population. This scenario may result in biased results since the other potential participants in the study are excluded. However, the research approach is ethical given that consent was sought from all participants before they were engaged in the study. Each participant was sent a letter of consent and they freely provided the information that was used in the study. Impact of the results on nursing practice Out of the eight themes that emerged from the study, it has been observed that the impact of birth trauma on mothers’ breastfeeding experiences can lead women down two different paths. The first path can strengthen women to persevere in breast feeding while the other path can lead to distress which curtails the women’s breast feeding attempts. Naturally, breastfeeding is seen as healthy for the new born hence the nursing staff should generate knowledge about the measures that can be taken to support traumatised mothers to breastfeed their children which is very necessary. Lothrop (1995) observes that information and support can help establish a happy nursing relationship with the traumatised mother which can help in overcoming this particular problem. Essentially, nurses are mainly concerned with providing quality healthcare to different people and it should be their prerogative to ensure that mothers who have experienced traumatic childbirths are assisted for the sake of their health and their newborn babies. The nurse should also observe the mothers to establish if they are displaying any sign of child birth traumatic symptoms when they are breastfeeding since this can lead to the theme of disturbing detachment (Beck & Watson, 2008). This can negatively impact on the development of the relationship between the mother and the child. This can lead to negative impacts on their health. Thus, nurses being custodians of providing healthcare to different people, this study is valid in their practice since it can significantly contribute in making a difference especially in mothers who have experienced traumatic conditions at childbirth. Overall, it is the responsibility of the nurses to provide the mothers with information and support so that they can breastfeed their children which is important for them. Conclusion The paper sough to critique the research paper by Beck and Watson (2008) entitled ‘Impact of birth trauma on breast-feeding: A tale of two pathways.’ The main purpose of the paper was to explore the impact of birth trauma on mothers’ breast-feeding experiences and it used phenomenology as the qualitative research design to gather data for the study. The results of the study showed that there are different eight themes that often lead to two different paths followed by women who have experienced trauma when giving birth. This experience can compel them to develop a strong bond with their children while on the other hand it can lead to detachment from their children. Overall, the research approach used by the researchers is credible and the study is very useful to healthcare practitioners in the nursing practice. References Beck, C.T. and Watson, S. ‘Impact of birth trauma on breast-feeding: A tale of two pathways.’ Nursing Research. Vol 57, No 4, 228–236. Lothrop, H. (1995). Breastfeeding Naturally: A new approach for today’s mother. Tucson: Fisher Books. Oppenheim A.N. (1992), Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement, New Edition, Pinter Publishers New York Thompson, R.E. et al (ND). ‘An account of significant events influencing Australian breastfeeding practice over the last 40 years.’ Viewed from: . Read More