Abstract
The announcement of a pregnancy is often a time of happiness. Planning and preparing for the birth of a child begins. Parents daydream about what is to come and their hopes for the new child. However, often overlooked are the extreme changes a woman faces with pregnancy and postpartum. Postpartum depression affects up to 19.2 percent of women who deliver babies. Often diagnosis and treatment of Postpartum Depression never occurs. The purpose of the study was to examine whether programs that promote the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding prevent symptoms of Postpartum Depression and enhance the self-efficacy of new mothers, perhaps because they provide social support and encourage empowerment. The study examined the association of breastfeeding support group attendance and social support, parenting efficacy, well-being, Postpartum Depression, and empowerment. Further, it examined whether empowerment and social support mediated the effect of participation on each overall well-being, postpartum depression and parental efficacy. A total of 90 questionnaires were collected from new mothers at breastfeeding clinics associated with two different hospitals in southern California. Attendance was associated with many positive outcomes. Women who attended more breastfeeding groups had fewer symptoms of postpartum depression, felt more competent as a parent and reported higher overall well-being. This study suggests that breastfeeding support groups may have preventative benefits for new mothers in that they may reduce the risk of postpartum depression and promote parenting self-efficacy, well-being and empowerment.