Published Paper Details:

Breast engorgement refers to the painful swelling and firmness of the breasts that commonly occurs when they become overly full of milk, blood, and fluid. It often happens in the early postpartum period, typically 3-5 days after delivery, but can also occur later if feeding or milk expression is delayed. A descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the postnatal mother's knowledge concerning breast engorgement and its intervention in a selected hospital of Moodbidri Taluk, with the aim to create an information booklet. The study utilized a descriptive design and included postnatal mothers as samples. The results indicated that 45% of the mothers had poor knowledge, 50% had average knowledge, and only 5% had good knowledge. The mean score of knowledge was 40.63% and the standard deviation was 3.611. Among demographic variables, 32.5% of mothers were aged between 22-25 years group, 65% were joint families, 47.5% were Muslim religion, and 72.5% had a vaginal delivery. Additionally, 52.5% of the study participants were multiparous. The results of the study show the enhanced awareness and education strategies are required to bridge the knowledge gap. Preparation of an information booklet can be useful tool to educate postnatal mothers on identification, management, and prevention of breast engorgement. The research highlights the need for organized postnatal education to improve maternal health and breastfeeding outcomes.