The first days after childbirth are a time of profound change – not only physically, but emotionally as well. Although the rooming-in model, in which mothers and newborns stay together around the clock, is standard practice in maternity wards, not every woman feels ready to care for her baby independently from the very first hours after delivery.
Researchers from Wroclaw Medical University set out to investigate what determines this sense of readiness. Their findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, show that psychological factors – particularly anxiety levels and the ability to cope with difficult emotions – play a much greater role than pain or physiological changes after childbirth.
Readiness is more than just skills
The study involved 200 women staying in a maternity ward 48–72 hours after giving birth. Researchers assessed participants’ self-reported readiness to care for their newborn during both day and night, as well as their readiness to breastfeed. They also examined associations between readiness and pain, anxiety, mood, social support, psychological flexibility, and postpartum changes in blood parameters.
The results showed that readiness to care for a newborn is not simply a consequence of good physical health or previous parenting experience. Rather, it reflects a woman’s own perception of whether, at that particular moment, she has sufficient physical and emotional resources to care for her baby independently.
Readiness to care for a newborn is not an assessment of a mother’s competence. It reflects her own perception of whether, considering her current physical and psychological condition, she feels capable of caring for her baby independently, – explains Dr. Anna Prokopowicz, Head of the Department of Fundamentals of Midwifery.
Anxiety was the strongest factor
The analysis revealed that women experiencing higher levels of anxiety on the second day after childbirth rated themselves as significantly less ready both to care for their newborn independently and to breastfeed. Psychological flexibility – the ability to act effectively despite physical or emotional discomfort – was also an important factor. In contrast, postpartum pain and the normal physiological decline in hemoglobin levels had a much smaller impact.
The most important finding of our study is that a woman’s readiness to care for her newborn is influenced more by her psychological condition than by purely physical factors. Anxiety proved to be a much stronger determinant than pain or normal postpartum physiological changes, which suggests that greater attention should be paid to the emotional well-being of new mothers, – says Prof. Izabella Uchmanowicz, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery.
Breastfeeding readiness is not the same as readiness to care for a newborn
The study confirmed that women who felt more ready to breastfeed also tended to feel more prepared to care for their newborn. However, the two concepts are not identical.
The authors point out that some women may be highly motivated to breastfeed while still feeling unprepared for around-the-clock newborn care. The findings therefore challenge the common assumption that readiness to breastfeed automatically means readiness to provide independent newborn care.
Our findings show that readiness for independent newborn care can differ considerably between women as early as the second day after childbirth. From a practical perspective, this means we should not assume that giving birth automatically translates into readiness for 24-hour newborn care. Assessing maternal readiness could serve as a simple starting point for discussing the support a woman needs and help tailor postpartum care to her current capabilities, – says Dr. Anna Prokopowicz.
Time for more individualized postpartum care
According to the authors, the findings may have practical implications for postpartum care. A brief assessment of anxiety or perceived readiness could help healthcare professionals identify women who need additional support, particularly during the first days after childbirth, when fatigue and emotional strain are often at their highest.
It may be especially important to tailor support according to the time of day. Although readiness for daytime and nighttime care was strongly correlated, women were more likely to report the highest levels of readiness for daytime care than for nighttime care. This suggests that nighttime may represent the period of greatest burden and the greatest need for support.
The rooming-in model offers many benefits, but it should not assume that every woman has the same physical and emotional resources immediately after giving birth. A brief assessment of maternal readiness could help identify women who need additional support earlier and enable care to be better adapted to their individual needs, – concludes Prof. Izabella Uchmanowicz.
What you should know
- How can new mothers be better supported during the first days after childbirth? Ask how she feels. A simple question about how ready she feels to care for her newborn can help identify women who may need additional support.
- Pay attention to both psychological and physical well-being. Readiness for newborn care is highly individual and reflects a mother’s current capabilities. Healthcare professionals should therefore consider not only her clinical condition but also her own assessment of her preparedness.
- Build confidence through practice. Support from a midwife or lactation consultant during the first attempts at breastfeeding and newborn care can strengthen a mother’s confidence and sense of competence.
- Remember that every woman experiences the postpartum period differently. Readiness to care for a newborn varies from one mother to another and may change from day to day. Postpartum care should therefore remain flexible and responsive to individual needs.
- Readiness to breastfeed does not always mean readiness for around-the-clock newborn care. A woman may be highly motivated to breastfeed but still require additional support in the first days after childbirth.
Based on the publication:
Maternal Readiness for Newborn Self-Care in the Early Postpartum Period: Associations with Maternal Psychophysical State and Declared Breastfeeding Readiness
Authors: Anna Prokopowicz, Kinga Tułacz, Kamila Drobina, Łukasz Lewandowski, Izabella Uchmanowicz
DOI: 10.3390/jcm15124522