Supporting mothers to bond with their newborn babies: Strategies Used in a neonatal intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in Malawi

This study aimed to investigate the strategies for supporting maternal–newborn bonding for mothers whose neonates were admitted to an intensive care unit at a tertiary hospital in Malawi. Methods An explorative qualitative design was used, and 15 participants (10 mothers and five nurses/midwives) were recruited. Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews. Audio recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by utilizing ATLAS.ti version 7 in accordance with Hennink’s stages of content analysis. Results It was showed that nurses and midwives used different approaches to facilitate maternal–newborn bonding. The responses revealed two major themes: mother–newborn interaction and mother–nurse/midwife interaction. Mother–newborn interaction involved breastfeeding and maternal involvement in newborn care, whereas mother–nurse/midwife interaction involved effective communication and psychosocial support. Maternal–newborn bonding promotes a mother’s successful transition into motherhood, nurses and midwives should actively initiate strategies facilitating early maternal–newborn bonding.
Source: International Journal of Nursing Sciences - Category: Nursing Source Type: research