POSITIONING INTERVENTION TO MINIMIZE FATIGUE IN BREAST-FEEDING WOMEN

Nursing interventions to enhance breastfeeding affect the health of mo thers and babies. Fatigue may interfere with breastfeeding, so interve ntions minimizing fatigue are important. This repeated measures study of 20 postpartum women investigated the relative efficacy of one inter vention, promoting use of the side-lying position. Using the Modified Fatigue Symptoms Checklist, fatigue was measured after breastfeeding i n two positions. In mothers who had vaginal deliveries (n = 14), signi ficantly less fatigue was reported following nursing in the side-lying versus the sitting position. Instruction regarding restfulness of the side-lying position should be considered as part of routine postpartu m or home health nursing care. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Com pany