Women’s experiences of treatment for mastitis: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION: Mastitis (inflammation of the breast) occurs in 10–20% of breastfeeding women. Different levels of the health service meet the needs of women in different ways, and treatment procedures vary at a local level. As maternity care evolves, with a greater need for efficiency, and the treatment for women is also changing. The purpose of the study is to investigate women’s experiences of treatment for mastitis in the interface with the health service. METHODS: The study has a qualitative design. It was conducted in 2018 and included semi-structured interviews with 11 women living throughout Norway who received treatment for mastitis. The data material was analyzed using systematic text condensation. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in three themes. The first theme was the interaction with healthcare personnel and related to being treated in a caring manner. The second concerned the women’s experience of feeling overwhelmed by pain and having to depend on help. The third theme related to the hospital stay and the women’s experiences of how random factors govern the treatment of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that women who were treated for mastitis were at risk of being admitted to hospital wards characterized by a lack of knowledge about mastitis, insufficient or flawed treatment competence, and an absence of necessary equipment. Treatment should be organized in a way that enables women to be placed in wards where staff have knowledge and experience, such as maternity and gynaecological wards, as well as associated outpatient clinics.