{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,31]],"date-time":"2026-10-31T01:18:28Z","timestamp":1793409508069,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"The Royal Society","issue":"1827","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]],"date-time":"2021-05-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1620000000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/royalsociety.org\/-\/media\/journals\/author\/Licence-to-Publish-20062019-final.pdf"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]],"date-time":"2021-05-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1620000000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/royalsociety.org\/journals\/ethics-policies\/data-sharing-mining\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]],"date-time":"2021-05-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1620000000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/royalsociety.org\/journals\/ethics-policies\/data-sharing-mining\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Medical Research Council","award":["MR\/P014216\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MR\/P014216\/1"]}]},{"name":"Medical Research Council","award":["MR\/P014216\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MR\/P014216\/1"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["royalsocietypublishing.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,21]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Social support is a known determinant of breastfeeding behaviour and is generally considered beneficial. However, social support encompasses a myriad of different supportive acts, providing scope for diverse infant feeding outcomes. Given the vulnerability of postpartum mental health, this paper aims to explore both how support prolongs breastfeeding and which forms of support promote the positive experience of all infant feeding. Using survey data collected online from 515 UK mothers with infants aged 0\u2013108 weeks, Cox regression models assessed the relationship between receiving different types of support, support need and breastfeeding duration. Quasi-binomial logistic regression models assessed the relationship between receiving support, infant feeding mode and maternal experience of infant feeding. Rates of negative infant feeding experience indicate the widespread need for support: e.g. 38% of currently, 47% of no longer and 31% of never breastfeeding women found infant feeding stressful. Overall, practical support via infant feeding broadly predicted shorter breastfeeding durations and poorer feeding experience; results in relation to other forms of support were more complex. Our findings indicate different forms of support have different associations with infant feeding experience. They also highlight the wide range of individuals beyond the nuclear family on which postpartum mothers in the UK rely.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>This article is part of the theme issue \u2018Multidisciplinary perspectives on social support and maternal\u2013child health\u2019.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0034","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]],"date-time":"2021-05-03T01:32:27Z","timestamp":1620005547000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["The differential role of practical and emotional support in infant feeding experience in the UK"],"prefix":"10.1098","volume":"376","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0542-7540","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"S.","family":"Myers","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"1 UCL Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, UK"},{"name":"2 BirthRites Independent Max Planck Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0973-1569","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"A. E.","family":"Page","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3 Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4862-179X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"E. H.","family":"Emmott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1 UCL Anthropology, University College London, 14 Taviton Street, London WC1H 0BW, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"175","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-clinpsy-101414-020426","article-title":"Biological and psychosocial predictors of postpartum depression: systematic review and call for integration","volume":"11","author":"Yim","year":"2015","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20200030","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0030","article-title":"Perinatal depression in migrant and refugee women on the Thai\u2013Myanmar border: does social support matter?","volume":"376","author":"Fellmeth","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20200028","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0028","article-title":"Preventing postnatal depression: a causal mediation analysis of a 20-year preconception cohort","volume":"376","author":"Spry","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"857","DOI":"10.2307\/1129087","article-title":"Infant irritability, mother responsiveness, and social support influences on the security of infant-mother attachment","volume":"52","author":"Crockenberg","year":"1981","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e188","DOI":"10.1016\/j.midw.2014.02.006","article-title":"Birth-related, psychosocial, and emotional correlates of positive maternal-infant bonding in a cohort of first-time mothers","volume":"30","author":"Bicking Kinsey","year":"2014","journal-title":"Midwifery"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1243","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.65.6.1243","article-title":"Social support in pregnancy: psychosocial correlates of birth outcomes and postpartum depression","volume":"65","author":"Collins","year":"1993","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"715","DOI":"10.1097\/00006842-200009000-00016","article-title":"Maternal social support predicts birth weight and fetal growth in human pregnancy","volume":"62","author":"Feldman","year":"2000","journal-title":"Psychosom. Med."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112791","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2020.112791","article-title":"Typologies of postnatal support and breastfeeding at two months in the UK","volume":"246","author":"Emmott","year":"2020","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"371","DOI":"10.1007\/s12110-019-09356-2","article-title":"Crucial contributions: a biocultural study of grandmothering during the perinatal period","volume":"30","author":"Scelza","year":"2019","journal-title":"Hum. Nat."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C10","first-page":"CD001141","article-title":"Support for healthy breastfeeding mothers with healthy term babies (review) summary of findings for the main comparison","volume":"2","author":"Mcfadden","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst. Rev."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C11","article-title":"Breastfeeding: quality watch indicator","author":"Nuffield Trust","year":"2021"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C12","first-page":"1","article-title":"Infant feeding survey 2010","volume":"2","author":"McAndrew","year":"2012","journal-title":"Leeds: Health Social Care Inf. Centre"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.3389\/fgwh.2020.00003","article-title":"Mind the mother when considering breastfeeding","volume":"1","author":"Rivi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front. Glob. Women\u2019s Health"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1111\/jan.12832","article-title":"Understanding the relationship between breastfeeding and postnatal depression: the role of pain and physical difficulties","volume":"72","author":"Brown","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Adv. Nurs."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e13047","DOI":"10.1111\/mcn.13047","article-title":"UK mothers' experiences of bottle refusal by their breastfed baby","volume":"16","author":"Maxwell","year":"2020","journal-title":"Matern. Child Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"596","DOI":"10.1136\/adc.2008.151910","article-title":"Mothers\u2019 experiences of bottle-feeding: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies","volume":"94","author":"Lakshman","year":"2009","journal-title":"Arch. Dis. Child."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C17","volume-title":"Work stress and social support","author":"House","year":"1981"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C18","first-page":"189","article-title":"Social support: a review","volume-title":"The Oxford handbook of health psychology","author":"Taylor","year":"2011"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C19","volume-title":"The evolution of life histories","author":"Stearns","year":"1992"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C20","volume-title":"Parental investment and sexual selection","author":"Trivers","year":"1972"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/mcn.12337","article-title":"Relationships between types of father breastfeeding support and breastfeeding outcomes","volume":"13","author":"Rempel","year":"2017","journal-title":"Matern. Child Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1080\/00324728.2017.1349924","article-title":"Support for new mothers and fertility in the United Kingdom: not all support is equal in the decision to have a second child","volume":"71","author":"Schaffnit","year":"2017","journal-title":"Popul. Stud. (NY)"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0133547","article-title":"Practical support from fathers and grandmothers is associated with lower levels of breastfeeding in the UK millennium cohort study","volume":"10","author":"Emmott","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"491","DOI":"10.1177\/0890334413488680","article-title":"Is paternal infant care associated with breastfeeding? A population-based study in Japan","volume":"29","author":"Ito","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Hum. Lact."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.1080\/13698570802383432","article-title":"Living with risk in the age of \u2018intensive motherhood\u2019: maternal identity and infant feeding","volume":"10","author":"Lee","year":"2008","journal-title":"Heal. Risk Soc."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1089\/bfm.2019.0171","article-title":"Made to feel like less of a woman: the experience of stigma for mothers who do not breastfeed","volume":"15","author":"Bresnahan","year":"2020","journal-title":"Breastfeed. Med."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C27","author":"Dewey","year":"2003"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20200026","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0026","article-title":"Children are important too: juvenile playgroups and maternal childcare in a foraging population, the Agta","volume":"376","author":"Page","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-16999-6_2253-1","article-title":"Alloparenting","volume-title":"Encyclopedia of evolutionary psychological science","author":"Emmott","year":"2019"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1010","DOI":"10.1079\/PHN2005793","article-title":"Energy requirements during pregnancy and lactation","volume":"8","author":"Butte","year":"2005","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.nutr.17.1.19","article-title":"Energy and protein requirements duirng lactation","volume":"17","author":"Dewey","year":"1997","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C32","article-title":"Maternal investment and postnatal depression-an evolutionary approach","author":"Myers","year":"2017"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/mcn.12563","article-title":"The effectiveness of interventions using relaxation therapy to improve breastfeeding outcomes: a systematic review","volume":"14","author":"Mohd Shukri","year":"2018","journal-title":"Matern. Child Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/nqz033","article-title":"Randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of a breastfeeding relaxation intervention on maternal psychological state, breast milk outcomes, and infant behavior and growth","volume":"110","author":"Shukri NH","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-015-0581-5","article-title":"UK women's experiences of breastfeeding and additional breastfeeding support: a qualitative study of Baby Caf\u00e9 services","volume":"15","author":"Fox","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy Childbirth"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"951","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2009.11.023","article-title":"Moral work in women's narratives of breastfeeding","volume":"70","author":"Ryan","year":"2010","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20200033","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0033","article-title":"Relatively speaking? Partners' and family members' views and experiences of supporting breastfeeding: a systematic review of qualitative evidence","volume":"376","author":"Chang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C38","unstructured":"Emmott EH , MyersS, PageAE. 2019Social support and feeding your baby survey. (doi:10.17605\/osf.io\/7KB5Q)"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C39","author":"Myers","year":"2019"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.11648\/j.ajtas.20160501.11","article-title":"Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling","volume":"5","author":"Etikan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Am. J. Theor. Appl. Stat."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C41","volume-title":"R: a language and environment for statistical computing","author":"Team RC","year":"2012"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C42","author":"Therneau","year":"2020"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4899-3242-6","volume-title":"Generalized linear models","author":"McCullagh","year":"1989"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1038\/d41586-019-00857-9","article-title":"Scientists rise up against statistical significance","volume":"567","author":"Amrhein","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/00031305.2019.1583913","article-title":"Moving to a world beyond \u2018p &lt; 0.05\u2019","volume":"73","author":"Wasserstein","year":"2019","journal-title":"Am. Stat."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.1002\/ajpa.24092","article-title":"P &gt; 0.05: the incorrect interpretation of \u2018not significant\u2019 results is a significant problem","volume":"172","author":"Smith","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am. J. Phys. Anthropol."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1079\/PHN2001147","article-title":"Breastfeeding in countries of the European Union and EFTA: current and proposed recommendations, rationale, prevalence, duration and trends","volume":"4","author":"Yngve","year":"2001","journal-title":"Public Health Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C48","author":"Public Health England","year":"2019"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nwh.2020.07.002","article-title":"The nurse's role in acknowledging women's emotions of unmet breastfeeding expectations","volume":"24","author":"Stallaert","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nurs. Womens. Health"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112944","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2020.112944","article-title":"Typologies of postnatal support and breastfeeding at two months in the UK: response to comments by Harpur & Haddon","volume":"252","author":"Emmott","year":"2020","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112911","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2020.112911","article-title":"Typologies of postnatal support and breastfeeding at two months in the UK: research participant commentary","volume":"252","author":"Harpur","year":"2020","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"729","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2019.1424","article-title":"Effect of early limited formula on breastfeeding duration in the first year of life a randomized clinical trial","volume":"173","author":"Flaherman","year":"2019","journal-title":"JAMA Pediatr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"863","DOI":"10.1007\/s10995-016-2167-x","article-title":"Infant feeding decision-making and the influences of social support persons among first-time African American Mothers","volume":"21","author":"Asiodu","year":"2017","journal-title":"Matern. Child Health J."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/mcn.12392","article-title":"The emotional and practical experiences of formula-feeding mothers","volume":"13","author":"Fallon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Matern. Child Nutr."},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20200020","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0020","article-title":"The male breadwinner nuclear family is not the \u2018traditional\u2019 human family, and promotion of this myth may have adverse health consequences","volume":"376","author":"Sear","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20200029","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0029","article-title":"Validating social support and prioritizing maternal wellbeing: beyond intensive mothering and maternal responsibility","volume":"376","author":"Budds","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20200032","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2020.0032","article-title":"Was Cinderella just a fairy tale? Survival differences between stepchildren and their half-siblings","volume":"376","author":"Schacht","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B"},{"key":"2026010105282315000_RSTB20200034C58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Myers S , PageAE, EmmottEH. 2021The differential role of practical and emotional support in infant feeding experience in the UK. See https:\/\/osf.io\/juyh8.","DOI":"10.31219\/osf.io\/bhycx"}],"container-title":["Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1098\/rstb.2020.0034","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1098\/rstb.2020.0034","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/rstb\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1098\/rstb.2020.0034\/167918\/rstb.2020.0034.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/rstb\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1098\/rstb.2020.0034\/167918\/rstb.2020.0034.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,1]],"date-time":"2026-01-01T10:28:35Z","timestamp":1767263315000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/rstb\/article\/376\/1827\/20200034\/31586\/The-differential-role-of-practical-and-emotional"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]]},"references-count":58,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1827","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,21]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/rstb.2020.0034","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.31219\/osf.io\/bhycx","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["0962-8436","1471-2970"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0962-8436","type":"print"},{"value":"1471-2970","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,3]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2021-02-01","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2021-05-03","order":2,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"20200034"}}