Purpose: The inadequacy experienced in maintaining breastfeeding was tried to be understood within the framework of Meleis' theory, and its relationship with growth spurts and postpartum depression was attempted to be revealed.
Design and methods: The study was planned in a case-control type web-based descriptive research design. Mothers (n = 572), who thought that they experienced breastfeeding problems, constituted the case group of the study, and mothers (n = 524), who thought that they did not experience breastfeeding problems, constituted the control group.
Findings: A statistically significant relationship was found between the case and control groups in terms of growth spurts and depression risk.
Practice implications: It is recommended to determine mothers' mood changes and breastfeeding problems they experience on the first postpartum days, to provide counseling to them.
Keywords: breastfeeding problems; growth spurts; postpartum depression; postpartum period.
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