Early maternal emotional availability and self-objectification during breastfeeding in maltreated mothers: a pilot observation study.

AIM: This pilot study investigates whether self-objectification, a marker of dehumanisation, mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment (CM) and the emotional experience of breastfeeding in postpartum women. BACKGROUND: Research has emphasised breastfeedings's physical benefits, duration, and maternal intent, with limited attension to how maternal CM affects well-being during breastfeeding and mother-infant interaction. DESIGN: Fifty women, up to six months postpartum, completed standardised self‑report questionnaires and participated in video‑recorded breastfeeding observations coded for Emotional Availability (EA) by trained, certified raters. RESULTS: Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis showed that self-objectification was significantly associated with both lower observed maternal emotional availability and more negative feelings towards breastfeeding. An indirect statistical association through self-objectification was supported for negative feelings towards breastfeeding, whereas evidence for the corresponding indirect association with observed maternal emotional availability differed across inferential methods. Maternal EA categories were descriptively cross-tabulated with CM status (CM: n = 35; non-CM: n = 15).         The omnibus distribution did not reach statistical significance (p = .244, Cramer's V = .29), although maternal detachment was more frequent in the CM group (31.4% vs. 6.7%). CONCLUSION: These results highlight the importance of research and trauma-informed care. Early breastfeeding observations may help identify indices of dyadic relationship quality.