Aim: This study compares women's postpartum fatigue, baby-care activities, and maternal-infant attachment following vaginal and cesarean births in rooming-in settings.
Background: Postpartum women admitted to baby-friendly hospitals are asked to stay with their babies 24 hours a day and to breastfeed on demand regardless of the type of childbirth.
Methods: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional study design. A total of 120 postpartum women were recruited from two accredited baby-friendly hospitals in southern Taiwan. Three structured questionnaires were used to collect data, on which an analysis of covariance was conducted.
Results: Women who experienced a cesarean birth had higher postpartum fatigue scores than women who had given birth vaginally. Higher postpartum fatigue scores were correlated with greater difficulty in baby-care activities, which in turn resulted in weaker maternal-infant attachment as measured in the first 2 to 3 days postpartum.
Conclusions: Hospitals should implement rooming-in in a more flexible way by taking women's postpartum fatigue and physical functioning into consideration.
Keywords: Baby-care activities; Baby-friendly hospital; Maternal–infant attachment; Postpartum fatigue; Type of childbirth.
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