The Effect of Birth Memory on Breastfeeding Adaptation in Primiparous Women

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 177 - 187, 29.09.2025

Ayşenur Turan , İffet Güler Kaya , Latife İnce

https://doi.org/10.62425/esbder.1550506

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between birth memory and breastfeeding adaptation in primiparous women and to identify the socio-demographic and obstetric factors associated with both birth memory and breastfeeding adaptation.
Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 274 primiparous women who had vaginal deliveries at a private university hospital between March and July 2024. Data were collected at the 24th hour and on the 15th day postpartum using the "Personal Information Form," the "Birth Memory and Recall Scale" and the "Breastfeeding Adaptation Scale". Data analysis was
performed using the SPSS 25.0 program, with statistical significance set at p < .05.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 28.52±3.56 years. The total scores of the Birth Memory and Recall Scale were 87.51±15.19 at the first measurement and 89.10±18.16 at the second. The Breastfeeding Adaptation Scale scores were 102.89±17.71 and 117.47±9.90, respectively. A weak negative correlation was found between the first scores of both scales, and between the first Breastfeeding score and the second Birth Memory score. The second Breastfeeding score was also weakly negatively correlated with both the first and second Birth Memory scores.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that birth memory can significantly impact breastfeeding adaptation during the postpartum period.

Keywords

Birth memory , breastfeeding adaptation , midwifery , primiparous

Primipar Kadınlarda Doğum Hafızasının Emzirme Adaptasyonuna Etkisi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu araştırmanın amacı, primipar kadınlarda doğum hafızasının emzirme adaptasyonuna etkisini incelemektir.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve ilişki arayıcı bir araştırma olarak planlanan çalışma, Mart-Temmuz 2024 tarihleri arasında özel bir üniversite hastanesinde vajinal doğum yapan 274 primipar kadınla yürütülmüştür. Veriler, doğum sonrası 24. saat ve 15. günde “Kişisel Bilgi Formu”, “Doğum Hafızası ve Hatırlama Ölçeği (DHHÖ)” ve “Emzirme Adaptasyon Ölçeği (EAÖ)” ile toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde SPSS 25.0 programı kullanılmış, istatistiksel anlamlılık düzeyi p<0.05 olarak kabul edilmiştir.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 28.52±3.56 yıl, DHHÖ ön test puan ortalaması 87.51±15.19, DHHÖ son test puan ortalaması 89.10±18.16, EAÖ ön test puan ortalaması 102.89±17.71 ve EAÖ son test puan ortalaması 117.47±9.90 olarak bulunmuştur. Eğitim durumu ile DHHÖ ön test, DHHÖ son test ve EAÖ ön test puanları arasında anlamlı fark tespit edilmiştir (p<0.05). EAÖ ön test puanları ile DHHÖ ön test puanları arasında negatif yönde zayıf bir ilişki saptanmıştır (r=-0.122, p<0.05). EAÖ ön test puanları ile DHHÖ son test puanları arasında da negatif yönde zayıf bir ilişki bulunmuştur (r=-0.154, p<0.01). Ayrıca, EAÖ son test puanları ile DHHÖ ön test puanları (r=-0.187, p<0.01) ve DHHÖ son test puanları (r=-0.172, p<0.01) arasında negatif yönde zayıf ilişkiler belirlenmiştir.
Sonuç ve Öneriler: Bu çalışma, doğum hafızasının postpartum dönemde emzirme adaptasyonunu önemli ölçüde etkileyebileceğini ortaya koymuştur.

Keywords

Doğum Hafızası , Emzirme Adaptasyonu , Primipar , Ebelik

Ethical Statement

Araştırmaya başlamadan önce İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Girişimsel Olmayan Klinik Araştırmalar Etik Kurulu Başkanlığı’ndan etik onay alındı (Sayı:E-10840098-202.3.02-1633 Tarih:26/02/2024). Çalışma, Helsinki Bildirgesi'ne uygun olarak yürütüldü. Çalışmaya kaydolmadan önce tüm katılımcılardan yazılı ve sözlü bilgilendirilmiş onam alındı.

Supporting Institution

Yoktur.

Thanks

Yoktur.

References

• Altun, E., Kaplan, S. (2021). Doğum hafızasının ve postpartum posttravmatik stres bozukluğunun annebebek ve baba-bebek bağlanma üzerine etkisinin değerlendirilmesi [Yüksek lisans tezi, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi]. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp
• Altuntuğ, K., Kiyak, S., & Ege, E. (2023). Relationship between birth memories and recall and perception of traumatic birth in women in the postpartum one-year period and affecting factors. Current Psychology, 43(1), 876–884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04336-3
• Ayers, S., & Ford, E. (2014). Posttraumatic stress during pregnancy and the postpartum period. In Oxford University Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199778072.013.18
• Beck, C. T. (2004). Birth trauma. Nursing Research, 53(1), 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-200401000-00005
• Beck, C. T. (2022). The Impact of Traumatic Childbirth on Women's Breastfeeding Experiences: A Metaphor Analysis. Clinical Lactation, 13(1), 54-59. https://doi.org/10.1891/CL-2021-0009
• Beck, C. T., & Watson, S. (2008). Impact of birth trauma on breast-feeding. Nursing Research, 57(4), 228–236. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nnr.0000313494.87282.90
• Coates, R., Ayers, S., & De Visser, R. (2014). Women’s experiences of postnatal distress: a qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-359
• Crawley, R., Wilkie, S., Gamble, J., Creedy, D. K., Fenwick, J., Cockburn, N., & Ayers, S. (2018). Characteristics of memories for traumatic and nontraumatic birth. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 32(5), 584–591. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3438
• Çankaya, S., & Akin, B. (2023). Doğum Sonu Dönemdeki Kadınların Doğum Hafızası ile Annelik Fonksiyonu Arasındaki İlişki. Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7926994
• Çark, B., & Çankaya, S. (2024). The effect of birth memory, recall level, and related factors on breastfeeding attitude of mothers in the postpartum period: a prospective study. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06011-7
• Dağlı, E., Aktaş Reyhan, F., & Uncu, B. (2025). Women's Lives and Birth Experiences Are Important! Evaluation of Women's Perceptions of Respectful Maternal Care: The Mother‐Friendly Hospital Difference. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 31(1), e14316. https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.14316
• Di̇nçel, Y., & Özdi̇lek, R. (2021). Turkish Validity and Reliability Study of Breastfeeding Adaptation Scale. Bandırma Onyedi Eylül Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(3), 190–198. https://doi.org/10.46413/boneyusbad.1027380
• Edwards, R., Cragg, B., Dunn, S., & Peterson, W. E. (2021). The breastfeeding and early motherhood experiences of older first-time mothers: A constructivist grounded theory study. Midwifery, 96, 102945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.102945
• Foley, S., Crawley, R., Wilkie, S., & Ayers, S. (2014). The Birth Memories and Recall Questionnaire (BirthMARQ): development and evaluation. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-211
• Garthus‐Niegel, S., Knoph, C., Von Soest, T., Nielsen, C. S., & Eberhard‐Gran, M. (2014). The role of labor pain and overall birth experience in the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms: a longitudinal cohort study. Birth, 41(1), 108–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12093
• Gregory, E. M., & Maddern, R. (2025). The psychosocial experience of traumatic birth in couples: an interpretative phenomenological study. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 43(1), 121-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2023.2225073
• Haas, D. M., Yang, Z., Parker, C. B., Chung, J., Parry, S., Grobman, W. A., ... & nuMoM2b study and the nuMoM2b Heart Health Study. (2022). Factors associated with duration of breastfeeding in women giving birth for the first time. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22(1), 722. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-05038-7
• İnan Kırmızıgül, E., Damsarsan, S., Şimal Yavuz, N., & Golbaşı, Z. (2025). Determination of women’s perception of traumatic birth and influencing factors. Health Care for Women International, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2025.2454587
• Jamal, M. K., Moghadam, F. R., Muhammadamin Malkari, B. H., Meshkvat, M., Rastgou, P., Moghimi, S., ... &
• Naderi, M. (2025). Factors influencing the quality of life of postpartum women: a systematic review. Current Psychology, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07443-5
• Karakoç, H., Bekmezci, E. Meram, H. E. (2022). The relationship between mothers’ birth memories and attachment styles. Journal of Psychiatric Nursing. https://doi.org/10.14744/phd.2022.65982
• Karakoç, H., Karaduman, H., & Salmancı, E. (2025). Determination of birth perception and maternal blues levels of vaginally delivered postpartum women with and without prenatal education programme: a comparative study. Health Education Research, 40(3), cyaf017. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyaf017
• Khaled, M., Corner, G. W., Horton, K., Khoddam, H., Stoycos, S., & Saxbe, D. E. (2020). Prenatal relationship conflict behavior predicts childbirth experiences and birth outcomes. Journal of Family Psychology, 34(6), 759. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000650
• Khodadoust, M., Mohamadi, R., Asadi-Karam, G., Mahmoodian, Z., Ensafi, Z., Sarreshteh, M., & Nakhaee, N. (2024). How Does an Unplanned Pregnancy Affect Maternal Stress and Depression From Pregnancy to 12 Months Postpartum? A Longitudinal Study. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 38, 150. https://doi.org/10.47176/mjiri.38.150
• Kim, S. H. (2009). Development of a Breast feeding adaptation Scale (BFAS). Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 39(2), 259. https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2009.39.2.259
• Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
• Kurz, E., Davis, D., & Browne, J. (2022). Parturescence: A theorisation of women’s transformation through childbirth. Women and Birth, 35(2), 135–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2021.03.009
• Norman, A., Allen, B., Fraser, M., & Baptie, G. (2025). ‘Just one more feed’: the impact of traumatic birth on breastfeeding. British Journal of Midwifery, 33(2), 84-91. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2024.0091
• Ozcalik, H. B., & Aksoy, Y. E. (2024). The relationship between maternal functioning and birth memory and trauma. Midwifery, 132, 103974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2024.103974
• Özdilek, R., & Dinçel, Y. (2023). Does mode of delivery affect breastfeeding adaptation? Journal of Academic Research in Nursing, 9(3), 171–178. https://doi.org/10.55646/jaren.2023.81488
• Perez-Blasco, J., Viguer, P., & Rodrigo, M. F. (2013). Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on psychological distress, well-being, and maternal self-efficacy in breast-feeding mothers: results of a pilot study. Archives of Women S Mental Health, 16(3), 227–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-013-0337-z
• Rowlands, I. J., & Redshaw, M. (2012). Mode of birth and women’s psychological and physical wellbeing in the postnatal period. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-12-138
• Sarisoy, S., & Tuğut, N. (2023). Kadınların Doğum Hafızası ile Doğum Sonu Depresyonu Arasındaki İlişkinin Değerlendirilmesi.Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 8(2), 185–192. https://doi.org/10.51754/cusbed.1273264
• Shorey, S., Ng, J. Q. X., Liu, V. C., & Chee, C. Y. I. (2025). Cradling disparities: A descriptive qualitative study of maternal experiences of mothers from low‐socioeconomic status in the first month postpartum. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 81(1), 423-438. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16225
• Sun, X., Fan, X., Cong, S., Wang, R., Sha, L., Xie, H., Han, J., Zhu, Z., & Zhang, A. (2023). Psychological birth trauma: A concept analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1065612
• Topkara, F. N. & Çağan Ö. (2021). Examining psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the birth memories and recall questionnaire. Journal of Psychiatric Nursing, 12(3), 245-253. https://doi.org/10.14744/phd.2020.60234
• Türkmen H, Tuna Oran N, Gürol S, Aydın İnce K. (2024). Postpartum Excessive Social Support Scale: A Scale Development and Psychometric Testing Study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 35(5),357-367. doi:10.1177/10436596241259198
• Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou, M., Orovou, E., Skoura, R., Eskitzis, P., Dagla, M., Iliadou, M., Palaska, E., & Antoniou, E. (2023). Traumatic Birth Experience and Breastfeeding Ineffectiveness - A literature review. Materia Socio Medica, 35(4),325. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2023.35.325-333
• Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou, M.., Orovou, E., Skoura, R., Eskitzis, P., Dagla, M., Iliadou, M., ... & Antoniou, E. (2023). Traumatic Birth Experience and Breastfeeding Ineffectiveness-a Literature Review. Materia Socio-Medica, 35(4), 325. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2023.35.325-333.
• Von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., & Vandenbroucke, J. P. (2008). The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 61(4), 344–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.11.008
• Yang, Y., Liu, H., Cui, X. et al. Mothers’ experiences and perceptions of breastfeeding peer support: a qualitative systematic review. Int Breastfeed J 19, 7 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-024-00614-3
• Yılmaz, N. N. K. & Kılıç, M. (2022). Kadınların travmatik doğum algısının doğum hafızası ve hatırlama ile ilişkisi. [Yüksek lisans tezi, Atatürk Üniversitesi]. https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp