A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF FLOW AND MILK VOLUME IN POSTPARTUM MOTHERS WHO RECEIVE A MASSAGE AND COMPRESS WITH A HERBAL COMPRESS AND A POSTPARTUM MOTHER WHO TAKES A HERBAL MEDICINE TO STIMULATE MILK FORMULA OF SINGHANAKHON HOSPITAL, SUPPLEMENTED BY A MASSAGE AND COMPRESS WITH A HERBAL COMPRESS, IN SINGHANAKORN HOSPITAL, SINGHANAKORN DISTRICTS, SONGKHLA

Abstract

This research was a quasi-experimental research with the following objectives 1)compare the level of milk flow and volume in postpartum mothers who were stimulated by massage and a herbal compress, 2) compare the level of milk volume in postpartum mothers who received massage and herbal compress in conjunction with taking milk-stimulating herbal medicines formulated by SinghaNakhon Hospital, Songkhla Province, and 3) to study the relationship between latent factors and the level of milk flow and volume in postpartum mothers. The experimental group was defined as a group of 20 postpartum mothers who massaged and compressed with herbal compresses together with taking boosting breast-feeding herbal medicine. The control group consisted of 20 postpartum mothers receiving massage and compression with herbal compression. The results showed that there was a significant difference before and after the trial (P<0.05) in the milk flow and volume for both the experimental and control groups. When milk flow and volume were assessed, there was no significant between two groups. There is evidence that the mother’s parity effects milk flow (r = 0.354) and volume  (r = 0.544) with incresing flow and volume in multiparous women. It was concluded that both methods were effective in increasing the milk flow and volume in the postpartum mothers.