Abstract
Breastfeeding initiation has been found to be lower in pregnant persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, no studies have explored the potential impact of T2DM during pregnancy on breastfeeding plans among Thai pregnant persons. This study aimed to describe breastfeeding confidence and intention during pregnancy among Thai pregnant persons with T2DM. This qualitative analysis utilized data from a parent study with a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. This study was guided by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Framework. Eligible participants were pregnant persons diagnosed with T2DM, aged 20–44 years, and proficient in speaking Thai. The pregnant persons participated in semi-structured interviews and completed three questionnaires: demographic, infant feeding intentions, and breastfeeding self-efficacy. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics for quantitative data and directed content analysis for qualitative data. Twelve interviews revealed four main themes: breastfeeding intentions during pregnancy, breastfeeding confidence throughout pregnancy, breastfeeding barriers (such as previous challenging experiences and physical distance between mother and baby), and breastfeeding facilitators (including benefits and cost-effectiveness, consumption of Thai foods and herbs, and the availability of breast milk shipping services). This study offers insights into the intentions and confidence of Thai pregnant persons with T2DM regarding breastfeeding their baby after childbirth. To improve breastfeeding outcomes, the pregnancy period could serve as an opportunity to assess breastfeeding confidence, barriers, and facilitators that influence breastfeeding intentions among pregnant persons with diabetes.
Notes
Funding Acknowledgement: This study was funded by a Sigma Foundation for Nursing, 2021 Small Grant.
Open Access Details:
This is an open access article originally published under the terms of a Creative Commons License, which permits the Sigma Repository to post a copy in its collections. Creative Commons CCO 1.0 Universal: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Original Article Citation:
Phonyiam R, Teng C-H, Cortés YI, Sullivan CS, Palmquist AEL, Hodges EA, et al. (2025) “Feeding the baby breast milk shouldn’t be a problem” breastfeeding confidence and intention in pregnant persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus from Thailand. PLOS Glob Public Health 5(2): e0004205. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004205
No changes have been made to this article.
No Copyright
The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.
You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. See Other Information below.
Other Information
In no way are the patent or trademark rights of any person affected by CC0, nor are the rights that other persons may have in the work or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, the person who associated a work with this deed makes no warranties about the work, and disclaims liability for all uses of the work, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
When using or citing the work, you should not imply endorsement by the author or the affirmer.
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Article
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Secondary Analysis
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Breastfeeding, Confidence, Type 2 Diabetes, Thailand
Recommended Citation
Phonyiam, Ratchanok; Teng, Chiao-Hsin; Cortés, Yamnia I.; Sullivan, Catherine S.; Palmquist, Aunchalee E. L.; Hodges, Eric A.; and Baernholdt, Marianne, "Feeding the Baby Breast Milk Shouldn't Be a Problem" Breastfeeding Confidence and Intention in Pregnant Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus from Thailand" (2026). Individual Articles. 54.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/individual_articles/54
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLOS)
Version
Publisher's Version
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
External Review: Previously Published Material
Acquisition
Indexed Previously Published Material (Per Creative Commons License)
Date of Issue
2026-10-08
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Funder
Sigma Foundation for Nursing
