author(s)
Sangeetha Raj, Lakshmi Kala and Sukanya

abstract
Breast milk is essential for infant nutrition, offering protection and supporting growth. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured teaching program on postnatal mothers' knowledge regarding breast milk expression and storage. A pre-experimental design was used with 60 postnatal mothers selected from Ganesh Hospital, Kolar. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and pre-test and post-test knowledge scores were compared. Results showed that in the pre-test, 81.7% of mothers had inadequate knowledge, while 50% had adequate knowledge in the post-test. The difference in mean knowledge scores between pre*test and post-test was statistically significant (t = 28.779, p< 0.05), demonstrating the effectiveness of the program. The study concluded that the structured teaching program significantly improved mothers' knowledge, emphasizing its value in enhancing maternal understanding of breast milk expression and storage.