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International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences Research Article
Effect of diaphragmatic breathing on perceived stress and milk let-down reflex in breastfeeding mothers: A nonrandomized pre-post interventional study
Khushi Patel, Vijay Pandita, Krupa Soni, Yash Patel
Year : 2026 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 8-13
Received on: 14/08/2026
Revised on: 27/08/2026
Accepted on: 11/10/2026
Published on: 01/11/2026
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Khushi Patel, Vijay Pandita, Krupa Soni, Yash Patel ( 2026).
Effect of diaphragmatic breathing on perceived stress and milk let-down reflex in breastfeeding mothers: A nonrandomized pre-post interventional study
. International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences, 11( 6), 8-13.
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Abstract
Psychological stress during the postpartum period can suppress oxytocin release and impair the milk let-down reflex, potentially compromising breastfeeding. Diaphragmatic breathing is a simple, non-pharmacological relaxation technique that may lower stress and support lactation, but evidence in postpartum populations remains limited. This nonrandomized, one-group pre-post interventional study evaluated the effect of a seven-day diaphragmatic breathing programme on perceived stress and self-reported milk let-down reflex among breastfeeding mothers, and examined whether the change in one outcome was associated with the change in the other. Thirty exclusively breastfeeding mothers aged 20-35 years with elevated baseline stress were enrolled through convenience sampling from a maternity hospital and community centres in Visnagar, Gujarat, India. Participants practiced diaphragmatic breathing twice daily for seven consecutive days. Perceived stress and milk let-down reflex were assessed before and after the intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and a self-reported Milk Let-Down Reflex Questionnaire (MLDRQ). Results: All 30 participants completed the programme with no dropouts. Mean perceived stress scores fell substantially after intervention, and the proportion of mothers in the high-stress category dropped sharply. Mean milk let-down reflex scores rose significantly. However, the magnitude of individual change in stress was not significantly correlated with the magnitude of change in let-down reflex. A brief, low-cost diaphragmatic breathing programme was associated with reduced perceived stress and improved self-reported milk let-down reflex among breastfeeding mothers, supporting its consideration as an adjunct in postpartum lactation care.
Keywords
Breastfeeding, Diaphragmatic breathing, Milk let-down reflex, Perceived stress, Postpartum.
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© The Author(s) 2026. This article is published by International Journal of Zoology and Applied Biosciences under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (creativecommons.org), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
