Qi Wu, Xiaoyun Wang, Fenghong Zhu

Department of Obstetrics, Anhui Provincial Women’s and Children’s Medical Center, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Hefei City, Anhui Province, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Fenghong Zhu, Department of Obstetrics, Anhui Provincial Women’s and Children’s Medical Center, Hefei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, No. 15, Yimin Street, Hefei City, Anhui Province, 230000, People’s Republic of China, Email ujp753@126.com

Objective: To investigate the effect of Milking interventions at different stages on postpartum breastfeeding rate and quality in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 400 GDM patients who delivered vaginally at the Department of Obstetrics, Anhui Women and Children’s Medical Center between May 2024 and February 2025 were enrolled. According to the type of intervention, the patients were divided into an observation group (Milking interventions at different stages, n=200) and a control group (conventional prenatal intervention, n=200). Both groups were assessed for exclusive breastfeeding rate, breastfeeding quality, and related indicators postpartum.
Results: There were no significant differences in age, BMI, or other basic clinical characteristics between the two groups (P> 0.05), indicating that the groups were comparable. The observation group showed significantly lower levels of HbA1c, postprandial blood glucose (PBG), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) compared to the control group (P< 0.05). Moreover, the exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge and on the third day of follow-up were significantly higher in the observation group (P< 0.05). Additionally, the observation group demonstrated a shorter time to lactogenesis and a higher average milk volume (P< 0.05); both the prenatal and postpartum Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (BSES) scores were significantly greater than those in the control group (P< 0.05). Furthermore, the newborns in the observation group exhibited more favorable weight gain, and maternal satisfaction with breastfeeding at discharge was significantly higher compared to the control group (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: Milking interventions at different stages not only significantly enhances the breastfeeding rate and quality in women with GDM but also effectively promotes postpartum recovery of glucose metabolism. This intervention is safe, easy to implement, and holds promising clinical value, offering strong evidence for improving the health outcomes of GDM patients and their newborns.

Keywords: prenatal milk expression, gestational diabetes mellitus, breastfeeding rate, breastfeeding quality, glucose metabolism