Mother’s Experiences and Perceptions of a Continuous Caring Model with Fathers after Caesarean Section: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

CitationOne theme family friendly practice after caesarean section and four categories. Mothers described the benefits of this model of caring. The fathers presence was important to mother and baby. Mothers were reassured that the baby was not left alone with staff. It was important for the mothers to see that the father could love the baby as much as the mother. This model of care helped create ties between the father and newborn during the period of mother-infant separation and later with the mother. Conclusions: Family friendly practice after caesarean section was an important health care intervention for the whole family. This model could be stratified in the Chilean context in the case of complicated births and all caesarean sections. Clinical Implications: In the Chilean context, there is the potential to increase the number of parents who get to hold their baby immediately after birth and for as long as they like. When the mother and infant are separated after birth, parents can be informed about the benefits of this caring model. Further research using randomized control trials may support biological advantages.

Newborn infants who received skin‐to‐skin contact with fathers after Caesarean sections showed stable physiological patterns

“…Another study from the same sample and hospital setting showed that fathers who took care of their newborn infants for the first hours after birth developed a better understanding of their infant's first moments of life and became more engaged with them as a result 15 . Another paper on the same cohort reported that the mothers felt that the family benefitted from the fathers caring for their newborn infant while they recovered from their Caesarean section and were separated from their baby 16 …”

“…15 Another paper on the same cohort reported that the mothers felt that the family benefitted from the fathers caring for their newborn infant while they recovered from their Caesarean section and were separated from their baby. 16 These findings about paternal newborn care are important because many countries routinely separate both parents from their newborn infant after Caesarean sections. This is particularly true in low-income and middle-income countries.…”

Effects of Continuous Care Model on Mental Health in Mothers of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

“…Childhood illness and hospitalization is a crisis and can cause anxiety for parents and children (6)(7)(8). Parents of these children face numerous difficulties while taking care of their children, which would have a great impact on their health (1,9). One of the main causes of parents' anxiety that affects their mental health is inadequate parental knowledge of how to care for a hospitalized child.…”