ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to investigate the opinions and attitudes of the mothers about the factors increasing breast milk.

This study is a questionnaire-based study. Three hundred mothers living in İzmir were interviewed regarding their opinions and attitudes about their breastfeeding experiences and the factors increasing breast milk.

The mean age of mothers’ was 35.13 ± 9.16 (19-69) years and the mean parity was 1.8±1 (1-7) times. University graduates constituted 44% of the study population, whereas 20.3% was high school graduates, 8.3% was secondary school graduates, 25.7% was primary school graduates. The mean duration of exclusive breast feeding was 4.35±3.27 (1-36) months, the mean duration of total breast feeding was 9.35±8.65 months. Most of the mothers (95.7%) thought that food, beverages and drugs could increase the amount of breast milk. Mothers were in the opinion that water (95%), buttermilk (81.3%), cow’s milk (79.3%), tahini halva (78.7%) and onion (77.7%) are effective in increasing the breast milk.

Many drugs, food and medical plants are considered as galactogogues. In our region, water, butter milk, cow’s milk, onion tahini halva and cowpea are believed to increase the amount of breast milk. Although the mechanisms are not fully known, these food and beverages are commonly used during breastfeeding period.