Author, year, country | Design | Location, participants, year of study and recruitment | Study aims and outcome measures | Results | Strengths/Limitations |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dykes & Williams 1999 UK [34] | Longitudinal, phenomenological study | Northern England, | - Explore women’s experience of expressing particularly perception of adequacy of milk supply | - Beliefs re. adequacy of breast milk supply influenced by interplay of feeding management, infant behaviour, lactation physiology and maternal mental health. | Small mono-cultural group |
n = 10 | Â | Â | Â | ||
1998 | Â | Â | Â | ||
Postnatal primiparas recruited face-to-face in hospital, home visits at 6, 8 &12Â weeks | Â | Â | Â | ||
Binns et al. 2006 Australia [2] | Longitudinal cohort | Perth, Western Australia | - Explore determinants of breastfeeding | - Early breastfeeding difficulties, | Comparison of similar groups 10Â years apart |
PIFS I n = 556 | - Measure and compare prevalence in expressing | - Engorgement, sore nipples, mastitis | Mainly women who expressed to manage breastfeeding difficulties | ||
1992–93 |  | - Feed to be given by someone else | Public patients only, perhaps not representative | ||
PIFS II n = 587 | Â | - To store extra milk | Â | ||
2002–03 |  | - Father to feed |  | ||
Recruited in hospital in early post-partum period. | Â | - To increase supply | Â | ||
 |  | - Feeding/attachment problems |  | ||
 |  | - To get baby to drink from a bottle |  | ||
 |  | - Just to try it out |  | ||
Labiner-Wolfe et al. 2008 USA [3] | Longitudinal cohort | National study | - Reasons why women express | - to allow someone else to feed | Large sample |
n = 3606 | - Amount and prevalence of milk expression | - maternal employment | Not nationally representative Participants older, more likely to be educated, white, employed, higher income | ||
2005–2007 | - Associated socio-demographic factors | - to have an emergency milk supply |  | ||
from IFPS II | Â | - no previous breastfeeding experience | Â | ||
 |  | - geographic location (Midwest Vs. West) |  | ||
 |  | - embarrassed to breastfeed in public |  | ||
Buckley 2009 USA [33] | Focus groups | Washington, DC | - Ascertain lactation consultant’s beliefs and experiences re. impact of breast pumps on breastfeeding practice | - Technological birth contributes to technological breastfeeding | Exploration of professional attitudes to change in feeding practice -no previous exploration of this area |
n = 12 | Â | - Engorgement, plugged ducts, to increase supply, to stimulate the let-down reflex, to pull out inverted nipples. | Small sample size | ||
Lactation consultants | Â | - Return to work | Volunteer participants | ||
Purposeful sampling | Â | - Measuring milk, diminished confidence in ability to provide enough milk | Date of study not indicated | ||
Clemons & Amir 2010 Australia [5] | Cross-sectional | State-wide study, Victoria | - Prevalence of breast milk expression | - Premature baby/sick mother or baby | Large study |
n = 903 | - Demographic characteristics of women who express, why and how they do it | - Attachment problems/not drinking well | Possible selection bias (members of ABA) | ||
2008 | - Women’s experience of using breast pumps | - Advised | Timing of questionnaire, possible recall bias | ||
Online questionnaire sent to Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) members who had an email address | - Not enough milk/To store extra milk | Â | |||
- Nipple pain | Â | ||||
- Engorged breasts/mastitis | Â | ||||
- So someone else can feed baby | Â | ||||
- Maternal work | Â | ||||
- Just to try it out | Â | ||||
- To allow mother to drink alcohol | Â | ||||
 | - Uncomfortable breastfeeding in public |  | |||
Geraghty et al. 2012 USA [29] | Prospective longitudinal cohort | Cincinnati | - Duration of breast milk feeding | - Planned return to work by 6Â months | Prospective design |
n = 60 | - Describe who commences expressing early | Â | Small study | ||
2004–2007 |  |  | Recruitment of women who planned to breastfeed for 6 months or more | ||
recruited face to face | Â | Â | Mothers recruited for study knew they were going to be assisted to pump and may have been more likely to be comfortable with this. | ||
 |  |  |  |  | Possible introduction of bias as weekly collection of breast milk was initiated at 1 week by research nurse using an electric breast pump |