Effect Of Oxytocin Massage on Breast Milk Production in Breastfeeding Mothers

Introduction: In the postpartum period, there are many challenges that may arise during the process of breast milk production, such as irregular breast milk production or difficulty expressing breast milk. Because the possibility of disruption at the beginning of breastfeeding can cause failure in breast milk production, these problems can interfere with the breastfeeding process. This study aims to analyze the effect of oxytocin massage on increasing breast milk production. By massaging the patient's spine (vertebra) up to the fifth or sixth rib,which was conducted for 15 minutes twice daily over a period of 2 days, oxytocin massage can help increase breast milk production. Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental design characterized by a one-group pre-test-post-test layout and sampling approach based on purposive sampling followed by 19 breastfeeding mothers at the Ngadirojo Community Health Center. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, which is not parametric, was used to analyze the data. Results: The analysis results showed the average value of breast milk scores before the intervention was 0.86 ± 0.87, [median: 0.60 (IQR: 0.20-1.20)], while after the intervention increased to 10.51 ± 6.61 [Median: 9.50 (IQR:6.00-14.50)]. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test results obtained p < 0.001, indicating there was statistically significant difference between breast milk scores before and after the intervention. Conclusion: This study shows oxytocin massage affects breast milk production in breastfeeding mothers.