Crying babies, tired mothers - challenges of the postnatal hospital stay : an interpretive phenomenological study
Journal
BMC pregnancy and childbirth
Volume
10
Pages / Article-Number
21
Abstract
According to an old Swiss proverb, "a new mother lazing in childbed is a blessing to her family". Today mothers rarely enjoy restful days after birth, but enter directly into the challenge of combining baby- and self-care. They often face a combination of infant crying and personal tiredness. Yet, routine postnatal care often lacks effective strategies to alleviate these challenges which can adversely affect family health. We explored how new mothers experience and handle postnatal infant crying and their own tiredness in the context of changing hospital care practices in Switzerland.
