EARLY BREAST HAND PUMPING FOR MILK PRODUCTION AMONG POSTPARTUM MOTHERS OF BIRTHING HOME X IN DAVAO CITY

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of early breast hand pumping on the first hours after birth to the milk production of postpartum mothers of birthing home x in Davao City. Specifically, this study aspired to determine the volume of milk produced after the early breast hand pumping by the experimental group of postpartum mothers. Secondly, to determine the volume of milk produced by the control group of postpartum mothers on the first to fourth day postpartum. Lastly, to determine if there is a significant difference in the volume of milk produced between the experimental and control group of postpartum mothers.

The design used in this study Experimental design. This study was conducted in a birthing home located at the heart of Davao City with an eighteen (18) bed capacity. The participants of the study were 30 postpartum mothers who just delivered a single term infant that was divided into two groups, the experimental and control group. The subject of the study was taken trough a Purposive sampling wherein they were assigned randomly to the experimental and control group, and proper matching of participants in both groups will be observed in terms of their age, body mass index, and parity. The statistical treatment used in the study was the mean and the t-test for a paired sample. The Four-Hour Test by the researchers Hale, T., Hartmann, P., Lai, C., and their colleagues were used to evaluate the close approximation of the participant’s breastmilk production in 24 hours.

The findings of the study revealed that the milk production of mothers in the experimental group shows that they produce a mean amount of 95.13 ml on the first day, 270.45 ml on the second day, 546.83 ml on the third day and 748.58 ml on the fourth day postpartum wherein in all were interpreted as above the average milk production. Meanwhile, in the control group, mothers’ milk production on the second day postpartum is above the average milk production with a mean of 46.02 ml, however, on the first, third and fourth day postpartum they produce a mean of 14.50 ml, 255.72ml and 346.44 ml of milk consequently which were all interpreted as below the average milk production. Nevertheless, in the test significance, it garnered a t-value of -4.516 with a p-value of 0.006 on day one indicating that there is a significant difference in the production of milk between the two groups on the first day. Similarly, the following days, days 2, 3, and 4 also revealed t-values of -3.577, -3.364, and -3.788 with p-values of 0.016, 0.02, and 0.013, respectively. Thus, it was concluded that early breast hand pumping at least after one and a half hours postpartum could help mothers increase their breastmilk production above the average. Recommendations on the improvement and dissemination of the use of early breast hand pumping after delivery were given.