Hope in breastfeeding in the context of breastfeeding counseling: a qualitative analysis based on the Multidimensional Model of Hope.

OBJECTIVE: To understand hope in breastfeeding from the perspective of women who received breastfeeding counselling. METHOD: A qualitative study nested within a clinical trial, based on thematic analysis guided by the Multidimensional Model of Hope. The study included 11 women interviewed between 14 and 18 months postpartum, all of whom had participated in the pilot study of a clinical trial and had received breastfeeding counselling in rooming-in units of maternity hospitals located in Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and Bahia, Brazil. A single, semi-structured, audio-recorded interview was conducted between May and September 2024. RESULTS: Women perceived breastfeeding as an act that positively affects child health and promotes mother-child bonding, both regarded as expected outcomes. Breastfeeding counselling was essential in helping them overcome doubts, fears, and breastfeeding-related challenges. This supportive relationship constituted an experience that activated dimensions of hope and left lasting emotional memories. CONCLUSION: The relationship with the breastfeeding counsellor, a component of the affiliative dimension of hope, facilitated and structured women's coping with breastfeeding challenges toward the hoped-for outcome.