Introduction:

The puerperium is a phase in which involutionary, local or systemic manifestations occur with respect to the pregravid state. During this period, the breastfeeding process occurs. However, breastfeeding may be ineffective if the mother or baby has dissatisfaction or difficulty in that process.

Objective:

To identify the nursing diagnosis known as “ineffective breastfeeding” in puerperal women registered and accompanied in the basic health unit.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional study, carried out in the period from January to April 2016, in basic health units of Vitória de Santo Antão. Data collection was carried out through a structured interview, with questions about the presence or absence of related factors and defining characteristics of the diagnosis under study. The data were quantitatively analyzed and Fisher's exact test was applied to verify the association between the variables.

Results:

The diagnosis was present in 40% of the puerperal women, where 22 (73.30%) were in the late puerperium, 8 (26.60%) were in the immediate puerperium, and none were in the remote puerperium. Among the 13 related factors of the diagnosis of ineffective breastfeeding, four presented some significance with the diagnosis, and among the 16 defining characteristics related to the diagnosis, three presented some statistical significance.

Conclusions:

The most significant clinical indicators allow the nurse to identify the diagnosis in the postpartum period, in order to promote strategies for the effective realization of breastfeeding.

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