The aims of this study were to analyze maternal perceptions about the milk they produced and its relationship with the duration and experience of exclusive breastfeeding. The participants of this cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study were 231 breastfeeding mothers who accompanied their less-than-4-month-old children in a Brazilian Public Health Care Clinic in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Data were analyzed using comparison among averages, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression, demonstrating that 71% of the participants claimed to produce good milk, perceiving the child's satisfaction after breastfeeding. Perception of milk was statistically significant when associated with child satisfaction. Breastfeeding mothers who perceive an unsatisfied child are 32 times more likely to have a bad perception of their milk. There was a significant difference between lactation intervals carried out by women who had and who did not have good perceptions of the breast milk. Child satisfaction was the indicator most used to evaluate milk. This study evidences the need to encourage women's capacity towards good milk production.
Breast feeding; Human milk; Maternal and child health
