Phone Calls With Mom Friends Boost Breastfeeding Success, Study Says

Regular phone calls between other moms may encourage more women to continue breastfeeding, a new study from La Trobe University says.

The Australian study analyzed more than 1,200 new moms and found regular phone calls with volunteer mothers who had prior breastfeeding experience boost breastfeeding rates. Half of the first-time moms received the usual maternal health care provided to mothers when they leaft the hospital after giving birth, while the other group received scheduled phone calls from an assigned peer in addition to the already provided resources.

Once two years passed, researchers compared breastfeeding across both groups and found an increased breastfeeding rate among women who received the phone calls. Specifically, 75 percent of moms who received phone calls were giving their children some form of breast milk at 6 months old, compared with only 69 percent of those in the other group.

“Having someone to talk to, who had themselves breastfed for at least six months and was trained to listen and be empathetic, meant those who faced difficulties were more likely to persevere than give up altogether," says study researcher and lactation expert Lisa Amir.

And the researchers think this type of therapy can extend beyond breastfeeding. La Trobe University is currently working on a new trial using the same model to explore if support through phone conversations could help moms at risk of PPD and anxiety.

It makes sense. While new moms are rarely alone, motherhood can often feel isolating. Sometimes simply having someone to talk to about all that new mom stress can make a big difference to your overall wellbeing.

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