Rooming-in practices and satisfaction with care according to discharge on exclusive breastfeeding

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the practices that favor breastfeeding performed in the Rooming-In area and satisfaction with the care received according to discharge on exclusive breastfeeding. Method: a quantitative study conducted between July 2020 and September 2021 in a maternity teaching hospital from southern Brazil; a total of 756 puerperal women participated by means of an online questionnaire 20 days after hospital discharge. The data were analyzed in a descriptive way with absolute and relative frequencies, and the chi-square test was applied to verify any statistical difference according to the “discharge on exclusive breastfeeding” outcome. Results: the prevalence of discharge on exclusive breastfeeding was 85.0% and the practices that presented and association with the outcome were guidelines regarding the breastfeeding readiness signs (69.0% versus 57.5%), correct position and latch (94.1% versus 86.7%), free demand (79.2% versus 69.0%), exclusive breastfeeding until the sixth month of life and complemented until two years of age (77.9% versus 67.3%); and the practice of not offering other milk during hospitalization (88.5% versus 17.1%). Satisfaction with the care received was high (95.0%) and presented no association with the outcome of “discharge on exclusive breastfeeding”. Conclusion: most of the women treated had access to the practices that favor breastfeeding, and education in health exerted a positive impact on exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge.