This study is being conducted to examine the effect of a motivational interviewing-based breastfeeding education intervention provided to mothers whose infants are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit on the mothers' breastfeeding motivation and breastfeeding self-efficacy.

Midwives and nurses working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are in a unique position to support the breastfeeding process and breastfeeding self-efficacy of mothers whose babies are hospitalized in the NICU. Health care professionals can use a variety of methods to support mothers' breastfeeding self-efficacy and encourage breastfeeding. Individualized interventions, breastfeeding education, and motivational interviewing are some of them. Motivational interviewing is basically a client-centered psychosocial intervention that helps individuals discover and resolve ambivalent feelings about health behaviors, learn new skills, and improve existing skills. In the breastfeeding process, the mother's motivation and positive intention are shown to be important indicators of breastfeeding continuation.

Health education about breastfeeding provided by neonatal intensive care nurses to mothers whose babies are hospitalized in the NICU for various reasons is one of the important initiatives of nurses. The contribution of health education planned with effective educational techniques for both mother and baby is undoubtedly very valuable. However, one of the important variables that should not be forgotten in the success of this education provided by the nurse is motivation, which also affects the self-efficacy of mothers regarding breastfeeding. In order to ensure the readiness of mothers to be educated about the breastfeeding process and breastfeeding of the infant hospitalized in the NICU, it would be appropriate to support the health education planned for mothers whose infants are hospitalized in the NICU with a motivational interviewing intervention. Based on this information, the planned research will examine the effect of motivational interviewing-based breastfeeding education provided to mothers whose infants are hospitalized in the NICU on mothers' breastfeeding motivation and breastfeeding self-efficacy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• A baby born at 38-42 weeks gestational week admitted to the NICU,
• Who started breastfeeding her baby in the NICU,
• Literate in Turkish,
• Open to communication and cooperation,
• Volunteered to participate in the study,
• Willing to breastfeed your baby,
• Have a smart phone and internet connection,
• Mothers who scored 60 or less on the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale in the pretest

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any chronic illness and pregnancy complications,
• A condition that prevents breastfeeding,
• The mother has a diagnosed psychiatric illness,
• Mothers with a history of substance abuse.
• The presence of an obstacle to oral feeding and sucking in the infant,
• The baby has genetic, congenital anomalies, neurological, cardiac and metabolic diseases,
• The baby has undergone surgery.

Individual participant data may be shared upon request from the principal investigator, subject to the appropriateness of the request, while ensuring adherence to the rules of confidentiality regarding individual data.

July through December of 2025

Individual participant data may be shared upon request from the principal investigator, subject to the appropriateness of the request, while ensuring adherence to the rules of confidentiality regarding individual data.