Table 5.

Focus Group Discussion themes and codes arranged by frequency counts

Theme and codes	Barrier	Enabler
Mothers’ attributes: physical and mental wellbeing, experience and relationships	Frequency counts*
Mother’s body image	+	+
Mother’s negative emotions (angry, unhappy)	++	–
Mother’s positive emotions (happy, feels good)	+	++E
Mother’s perception of breastmilk supply	++++	++
Mother’s experience (not first child)	+	+
Mother’s first breastfeeding experience	+	+
Mother’s health status or physical wellbeing	+++	++
Mother’s choice	+	+
Mother’s hunger & nutrition	++	++
Mother’s priorities	++	+
Mother’s sexual relationships	+	+
Mother’s stress	++++B	+
Mothers’ knowledge, attitudes & practices of breastfeeding
Benefits of breastfeeding	–	+++E
Conventional medicines for babies	+++	++
Expressing breastmilk	+	+
Foods to make or increase breastmilk	+	++
Frequency and duration of breastfeeding	+	+
Information on infant feeding	+	+
Mixed feeding	++++B	+
Positioning and latching	+	+
Family environment
Advice from elders	+	+
Home setting	++++B	+++E
Food at home	+	+
Relationship with the father of the child	+	+
Social environment
Health professionals	++	++E
Breastfeeding seen as low social status	+	–
Breastfeeding in public	+	+
Public spaces & places (malls, taxis, other people)	+++B	+
Traditional beliefs & practices	+	+
Work environment	+	+
Baby cues
Baby does not want to or struggles to breastfeed	+	–
Baby full	+	+
Baby’s health	++	++E
Baby not full	++	+
Baby bonding & love	+	+
Baby crying	+	+
Baby breastfeeding frequently	+	–
Baby’s growth & development	+	+
Baby sleeping longer or better	+	+
Baby stomach ailments	++B	+
Baby upset or unsettled by mother’s emotions	+	–

^*Frequency counts based on ATLAS.ti - Fq counts^*: 0 = −, 1–20 = +; 21–40 = ++, 41–60 = +++, > 60 = ++++

^B = Highest count for barrier and ^E = highest count for enabler