Care for both mother and child immediately after childbirth: a descriptive study

Abstract

Aim:To understand the perceptions of users about the care provided to them and their newborns immediately after childbirth. Method: This is a descriptive study in which a qualitative approach was used, involving 20 postpartum women admitted to a secondary level Public Hospital of Fortaleza. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and were analyzed by means of Bardin's content analysis technique. Results: Three categories were highlighted: Care provided to newborns; care (or lack of care) provided to postpartum women; and structural failures of the maternity hospital. Discussion: Postpartum care was primarily focused on guidance on breastfeeding, without considering other demands of women, such as: the need for greater attention by the health team; more humane behavior of some health professionals; and guidance on self-care. Conclusion:Postpartum care is still limited and it requires greater attention and commitment from health professionals, as well as adjustments in the structural and organizational conditions of the maternity hospital so that it may provide decent and humane care.Descriptors: Postpartum Period; Rooming-in Care; Delivery of Health care. 228Rodrigues DP, Dodou HD, Lago PN, Mesquita NS, Melo LPT, Souza AAS. Care for both mother and child immediately after childbirth: a descriptive study. Online braz j nurs [internet] 2014 Jun [cited month day year]; 13 (2): 227-38. Available from:

Educational practices of nursing in the puerperium: social representations of puerperal mothers

“…This demonstrates that health education in this period focused on the child by concentrating on guidelines for breastfeeding and feeding (15) . Therefore health professionals should include in their care necessary guidance not only for the child, but also to bring together their universe of relationships, by considering the family and child as a single client.…”

“…This study also showed that the puerperal mothers were guided by the professionals in the joint lodging and their family as to the correct handling of the breast and position of the baby during breastfeeding. These teachings contribute to the success of this practice and to the prevention of complications such as mastitis and engorgement, which may negatively affect the breastfeeding event (15) . The orientation and help provided by the puerperal woman's mother was also fundamental to successful breastfeeding, since the woman trusts the knowledge that is disseminated by her relatives and uses this to guide her caregiving.…”

“…This is due to the guidelines received by the nursing team, which emphasize that the practice of breastfeeding should be exclusive up to six months, since milk is considered the healthiest food for the child, will protect against illness and contribute to the development of teeth (15) . These women consider breastfeeding in the common sense view that health is simply absence of disease and that human milk protects against disease (16) .…”

“…Guidance and support from the health team are fundamental to avoid problems and favor successful breastfeeding. These are light technologies that are easy to perform in clinical practice, yet can contribute to the maintenance of this activity (15,26) . In view of the above, in this class, it was shown that health education in the postpartum period prioritized nursing care, since breastfeeding is something that can only be performed by the mother and represents the survival and health of the child.…”

Immediate Care To The Newborn Of Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Proposal Of Evaluation

“…Thus, it is necessary a change in the posture of those who assist the mother and newborn, as well as a hospital organization in order to offer good structural and organizational conditions with human and material resources, in order to minimize the risk of vertical transmission. [4] In this way, the quality of care must be periodically evaluated in order to offer care able to provide the continuous reduction of the transmission of HIV from mother to newborn. With that, the assessment appears to be the best solution to get information on the functioning and effectiveness of the Health System [5].…”