Table 3.

The current social construction of motherhood can negatively affect EBF.

The loneliness that accompanies motherhood. Midwives highlight the feeling of loneliness that characterises motherhood today. They explain that before, women lived with the family and had the opportunity to face this stage together, while currently many women do not have the support of their partner or family, because they are not physically close or because their presence and involvement in parenting is non-existent. In these cases, women feel alone in seeing to the needs of a newborn 24 h a day, where additionally BF requires more time and exclusive dedication, without the possibility to delegate and be able to do other things.	“...the feeling of loneliness I think is an important factor, which is ascribed to motherhood, we women have it now in the postnatal period and it is seen more or less intensely depending on the support you have.” (E1)
Being a mother: a clash between expectations and reality as a negative factor for EBF. Midwives point out that the social idealisation of motherhood makes it difficult for women to adapt to the new situation. The lack of close references and true information on postpartum and motherhood causes women, after childbirth, to find themselves in a situation they did not expect, and without any tools to face it.	“...the differences between fiction and reality. The imaginary idea they had of what it is to be a mother, what they′ve seen in movies, what they′ve seen with their friends, a couple of hours is not the same as 24 h in the leading role of a nursing mother.” (E15)
The current individualistic society: loss of the “tribe” sense, key to EBF. Midwives highlight the influence of the general functioning of today’s society, much more individualistic in upbringing and especially in BF. The informants perceive that it can be a negative factor for new mothers to not have any close lactating women as a reference and as an example for them.	“We are in an individualistic society, raising our child alone, so you spend a lot of time alone with your baby in your house taking care of it without other women who support you, we are not surrounded by our relatives who support us with breastfeeding as they used to.” (E4)