The bonding with extremely preterm infants is interrupted after giving birth. The maternal emotional state and the environment of the neonatal intensive care unit limit its development. Nursing care can facilitate mother-infant bonding by encouraging communication, participation in care, massaging or breastfeeding.

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Background: Stillbirth and neonatal death are one of the most stressful life events, with negative outcomes for parents. Society does not recognize this type of loss, and parental grieving is particularly complicated and intense. Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe and understand the experiences of parents in relation to professional and social support following stillbirth and neonatal death. Methods: This was a qualitative study based on Gadamer's hermeneutic phenomenology. Twenty-one semistructured interviews were carried out. Inductive analysis was used to find themes based on the data. Results: Twenty-one parents (13 mothers and 8 fathers) from 6 families participated in the study. The analysis identified 2 main themes: (1) “professional care in dealing with parents' grief,” with the subthemes “important aspects of professional care,” “continuing of pathways of care”; and (2) “effects of social support in parental grief,” including the subthemes “the silence that surrounds grieving parents,” “family and other children: a key element,” and “perinatal loss support groups: a reciprocal help.” Implications for Practice: Counseling and support according to parents' requirements by an interdisciplinary team of professionals educated in perinatal loss and ethical family-centered care is needed. A social support system for families is necessary to avoid negative emotional consequences. Implications for Research: Further research is needed to analyze midwives' and nurses' experience as facilitators to improve parental grief and the difficulties experienced by the family, other children, and friends of parents with perinatal loss in providing support.

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Background: Mothers' own milk (MOM) has more than nutritional benefits for extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks). However, mothers encounter barriers that make it difficult to provide their own milk to their extremely preterm infants. Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe and understand the experiences of mothers of extremely preterm infants regarding barriers to providing their own milk during infant hospital stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This study followed a qualitative, interpretative design using Gadamer's hermeneutic approach and included 15 in-depth semistructured interviews. The data were analyzed using a modified form of the steps described by Fleming. Results: Fifteen mothers of extremely preterm infants participated in the study. The following themes were extracted from the data analysis: (1) “unexpected and unusual lactation,” including the subthemes “the extremely preterm birth and the decision to provide MOM,” “the battle to produce milk,” and “my job was to make milk”; and (2) “providing MOM to a tiny infant in an unknown technological environment,” with the subthemes “the limitations of providing MOM in the NICU” and “the difficulties of having an extremely preterm infant.” Implications for Practice: To provide MOM to an extremely preterm infant, there is a need for informational and practical counseling by neonatal nurses educated in breastfeeding according to mothers' requirements and emotional needs. Implications for Research: Future research may analyze the parents' and neonatal nurses' experience about facilitators to improve MOM provision and the influence of women's sociodemographic characteristics in providing MOM to the extremely preterm infants.

Background: Nursing professionals are exposed to stressful situations arising from the work context that may affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The objective of this study was to analyse the relationship between sociodemographic and work-related variables regarding HRQoL in nursing professionals. Methods: A multi-centre, cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The participants consisted 1521 nurses working in healthcare centres, in both primary care and hospital care, in the eight provinces of the Andalusian Public Health System (APHS), Spain. Sociodemographic and work-related variables were analysed: Compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and burnout were measured using the professional quality of life questionnaire (ProQOL), and HRQoL was measured using the SF-12 health questionnaire. Results: Compassion fatigue, burnou, and, to a lesser extent, compassion satisfaction significantly influence the physical and mental components of HRQoL. The simple regression analysis showed that burnout and compassion fatigue were significantly associated with the mental component of HRQoL. Gender influenced the mental component of HRQoL. The rest of the sociodemographic and work-related variables were not significantly related to HRQoL. Conclusion: Work-related stress and repeated contact with situations of suffering influence HRQoL. Health systems must implement programmes to increase the emotional well-being of workers.

Despite limitations, sexuality is important for the identity and quality of life of women with fibromyalgia syndrome. Together with the physical symptomology, guilt, fear and a lack of understanding compromise the coping process. Women need the support of their partner, their socio-family environment and health professionals. Nurses can aid the successful adjustment to sexual problems related to fibromyalgia syndrome.

BackgroundPerinatal grief is a process that affects families in biological, psychological, social and spiritual terms. It is estimated that every year there are 2.7 million perinatal deaths worldwide and 4.43 deaths for every 1000 births in Spain. The aim of this study is to describe and understand the experiences and perceptions of parents who have suffered a perinatal death.MethodsA qualitative study based on Gadamer’s hermeneutic phenomenology. The study was conducted in two hospitals in the South of Spain. Thirteen mothers and eight fathers who had suffered a perinatal death in the 5 years prior to the study participated in this study. In-depth interviews were carried out for data collection. Inductive analysis was used to find themes based on the data.ResultsEight sub-themes emerged, and they were grouped into three main themes: ‘Perceiving the threat and anticipating the baby’s death: “Something is going wrong in my pregnancy”’; ‘Emotional outpouring: the shock of losing a baby and the pain of giving birth to a stillborn baby’; “We have had a baby”: The need to give an identity to the baby and legitimise grief’.ConclusionThe grief suffered after a perinatal death begins with the anticipation of the death, which relates to the mother’s medical history, symptoms and premonitions. The confirmation of the death leads to emotional shock, characterised by pain and suffering. The chance to take part in mourning rituals and give the baby the identity of a deceased baby may help in the grieving and bereavement process.Having empathy for the parents and notifying them of the death straightaway can help ease the pain. Midwives can help in the grieving process by facilitating the farewell rituals, accompanying the family, helping in honouring the memory of the baby, and supporting parents in giving the deceased infant an identity that makes them a family member.