Impact of Mindfulness and Meditation Education on Breastmilk for Mothers with NICU Infants

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how mindfulness and meditation techniques might influence changes in breastmilk among mothers pumping for their infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit NICU. This study focuses on mothers whose infants were born prematurely with a gestational age under 34 weeks and admitted to the NICU. The purpose is to understand associations between mindfulness-based lactation education and maternal breastmilk volume and related hormonal changes. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The standard of care group receives a typical lactation admission visit from a lactation consultant within 72 hours of their infants NICU admission. The mindfulness-based group receives this standard visit plus an additional session focused on mindfulness-based lactation education and a daily meditation audio recording to listen to during pumping for 20 days. Both groups record pumping times and breastmilk volumes and provide saliva samples for oxytocin and cortisol analysis at baseline, 10 days, and 20 days. Throughout the 20-day study period, mothers track their pumping sessions, breastmilk volume, and complete surveys assessing anxiety and stress. The mindfulness group also logs their usage of the meditation audio. Researchers monitor changes in breastmilk volume as the primary outcome and changes in salivary oxytocin and cortisol as secondary outcomes. This study evaluates how mindfulness practices might impact lactation and hormonal responses in mothers with NICU infants.

Mindfulness and Meditation Based Lactation Education on Maternal Breastmilk in the Neonatal ICU