Pregnancy Intentions and Happiness: Predictors of Breastfeeding in a National Sample

Abstract

Unintended pregnancies (mistimed or unwanted) are linked to lower rates of breastfeeding, yet little research to date has investigated the role of feelings of happiness about the pregnancy on maternal health behaviors. Using data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, we examined whether breastfeeding initiation/duration was explained by (1) socio-demographic characteristics of mothers and (2) pregnancy intentions/feelings of happiness of mothers. Pregnancy intentions/happiness factors significantly explained an increase in the multiplicative odds of initiating breastfeeding better than a model with socio-demographic variables alone, G2 (5, 798) = 3622.5. Participants who indicated their pregnancies were unwanted or too soon breastfed for a shorter duration in comparison to those who said it was the right time; these effects remained after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Feelings of happiness about the pregnancy did not alter the odds of initiation or affect the duration of breastfeeding.