Abstract
Breast Milk (ASI) is the primary source of nutrition essential for a baby’s growth and development. However, not all postpartum mothers can produce breast milk smoothly. Factors such as stress, lack of oxytocin stimulation, and poor breast care can effect milk production. This study aims to determine the effect of breast care and oxytocin in massage on the smooth production of breast milk in postpartum mothers. Method: This research used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-post test control group approach. The sample consisted of 30 postpartum mothers divided into intervention and control groups (15 respondents each). Data were collected through questionnaires and observation, then analyzed using the Wilcoxon and mann-whitney tests. Results: The Wilcoxon test showed that the percentage of postpartum mothers with smooth breast milk production increased from 20% to 86.7%. The Z-score was -3.420 with a p-value of 0.001 < 0.05. In the control group, breast milk production also increased from 13.3% to 40%. The Z-score was -3.475 with a p-value of 0.001, also indicating a significant difference. Based on the results of the Mann-Whitney test, the mean rank of the intervention group was 21.43, higher than that of the control group at 9.57. The p-value was 0.000 < 0.05 and the Z-score was -3.761, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups. This indicates that breast care and oxytocin massage are significantly more effective in improving the smoothness of breast milk production compared to no treatment. Conclusion: Breast care and oxytocin massage significantly effect the smooth production of breast milk in postpartum mothers. These interventions are recommended to be applied in midwifery practice to improve breastfeeding success
