Effect of labor analgesia on breastfeeding success

Background: The effect of labor analgesia on breastfeeding success is not w ell defined Some authors have hypothesized that labor analgesia may affect lactation success. The purpose of this observational study was to determine if intrapartum analgesia influenced breastfeeding success at 6 weeks postp artum in a setting that strongly supported breastfeeding. Methods: Healthy women with uncomplicated term pregnancies who planned to breastfeed consent ed to a telephone interview. We recorded demographic data, labor induction status, delivery mode, and analgesic medications. Ar between 6 and 8 weeks postpartum, patients were asked to describe breastfeeding use, problems enc ountered, solutions derived, sources of support and information, and satisf action. We created a logistic regression model using intrapartum analgesia information and controlling for demographic factors previously correlated w ith lactation success. Results: We enrolled 189 women, contacted 177 women postpartum, and obtained complete data on 171 women. Of these, 59 percent r eceived epidural analgesia, 72 percent breastfed fully, and 20 percent brea stfed partially (> 50% of infant nutrition) at 6 weeks postpartum. After co ntrolling for demographics and labor outcome, we could not demonstrate a co rrelation between breastfeeding success at 6 to 8 weeks and labor analgesia . Conclusions: In a hospital that strongly promotes breastfeeding, epidural labor analgesia with local anesthetics and opioids does nor impede breastf eeding success. We recommend that hospitals that find decreased lactation s uccess in parturients receiving epidural analgesia reexamine their postdeli very care policies.