{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T05:01:28Z","timestamp":1787029288909,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758153600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Breastfeeding is essential to maternal and child health, and multiple factors influence its success. This study examined the factors associated with breastfeeding type among infants aged 0 to 12 weeks. Methods: A mixed-methods study, employing a convergent design, was conducted in the rooming in unit of a hospital in Esp\u00edrito Santo, Brazil. A total of 296 mothers of neonates \u2265 34 weeks participated in both the quantitative and qualitative phases. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews conducted in the hospital setting. In the quantitative phase, data were collected via telephone in three waves (on days 14, 40, and 90 postpartum), critical moments for establishing and maintaining breastfeeding, analyzing sociodemographic factors (age, education, marital status, number of pregnancies), clinical factors (gestational age, mode of delivery, milk production) and support factors (social and hospital). Descriptive statistical analysis and binomial and multinomial logistic regression models were used, conducted in R 4.3.3 software. The qualitative and quantitative findings were integrated through simultaneous incorporation and presented in a joint display. Results: The analysis showed that although most mothers had high adherence to prenatal care, breastfeeding counseling was insufficient. In addition to the type of delivery and immediate skin-to-skin contact, other factors were also found to be relevant to maintaining exclusive breastfeeding. Higher maternal education and a greater number of pregnancies were associated with better breastfeeding practices, albeit with variations in statistical significance. Support received during hospitalization, especially from the healthcare team, also emerged as a central element in the qualitative reports, reinforcing its role as a protective factor for continued breastfeeding. Early formula use within the first 48 h was identified as a barrier to initiating and maintaining breastfeeding. Conclusions: The duration and maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding varied over time, depending on factors such as the number of prenatal appointments, education level, number of pregnancies, mode of delivery, immediate skin-to-skin contact, and, most importantly, the use of formula in the first 48 h. The early introduction of formula in maternity wards represented a significant obstacle to breastfeeding, reinforcing the importance of integrated public policies and multidisciplinary initiatives that promote breastfeeding from birth.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17182992","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T14:45:46Z","timestamp":1758206746000},"page":"2992","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Factors Influencing Exclusive Breastfeeding During the Postpartum Period: A Mixed-Methods Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0935-9098","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Greyce","family":"Minarini","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Sciences, Maru\u00edpe Campus, Federal University of Esp\u00edrito Santo, Avenida Marechal Campos, 1.468, Vit\u00f3ria 29047-105, ES, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5128-3715","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eliane","family":"Lima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Sciences, Maru\u00edpe Campus, Federal University of Esp\u00edrito Santo, Avenida Marechal Campos, 1.468, Vit\u00f3ria 29047-105, ES, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3544-5643","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karla","family":"Figueiredo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department, Federal University of Paran\u00e1, Av. Prefeito Loth\u00e1rio Meissner, 632, Bloco Did\u00e1tico II, Jardim Bot\u00e2nico, Curitiba 80210-170, PR, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0301-2261","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Paula","family":"Carmona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Research, Innovation, and Development Centre of Lisbon\u2014[CIDNUR], Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Egas Moniz, 1600-190 Lisboa, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1470-1321","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariana","family":"Bueno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite 130, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4593-9479","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"N\u00e1taly","family":"Monroy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Statistics, Goiabeiras Campus, Federal University of Esp\u00edrito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514\u2014Goiabeiras Campus, Vit\u00f3ria 29075-910, ES, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5141-2898","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u00e2ndida","family":"Primo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Sciences, Maru\u00edpe Campus, Federal University of Esp\u00edrito Santo, Avenida Marechal Campos, 1.468, Vit\u00f3ria 29047-105, ES, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-025-00744-2","article-title":"Predictors of exclusive breastfeeding: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"20","author":"Kalhor","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. Breastfeed. J."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2025, April 17). Breastfeeding. 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