Not every mother feels ready to care for her newborn immediately after giving birth

The initial hours and days following childbirth bring about significant physical and emotional shifts. While mothers and infants are typically kept together continuously, known as rooming-in, not all women feel prepared to independently care for their newborns right after delivery. Researchers from Wroclaw Medical University explored the factors influencing this sense of readiness.

Their study, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, found that psychological elements—especially anxiety levels and coping abilities—have a more substantial impact on readiness than pain or physical changes after giving birth. The research included 200 women who were in a maternity ward 48–72 hours after childbirth. The investigators measured the women's self-reported preparedness for caring for their newborns during both day and night, as well as their preparedness for breastfeeding.

They also looked at how readiness related to pain, anxiety, mood, social support, psychological adaptability, and changes in blood parameters post-delivery. The findings indicated that readiness to care for a newborn is not solely determined by physical health or prior parenting experience. Instead, it stems from a woman's perception of whether she currently possesses the necessary physical and emotional resources to care for her baby independently.

Dr. Anna Prokopowicz, leading the research team, explained that readiness reflects a woman's perception of her current capacity, considering both physical and psychological conditions. The analysis showed that higher anxiety levels on the second day after childbirth corresponded to significantly lower self-perceptions of readiness for both independent newborn care and breastfeeding.

Psychological flexibility, the ability to remain effective despite discomfort, also played a crucial role. In contrast, postpartum pain and the typical decrease in hemoglobin levels after childbirth had a comparatively minor impact. The most significant takeaway from the study is that a woman's readiness to care for her newborn is more influenced by her psychological state than purely physical factors.

Anxiety proved to be a much stronger predictor of readiness than pain or typical postpartum physiological changes. This suggests that healthcare providers should focus more on the emotional well-being of new mothers. The study also revealed that women who felt more prepared to breastfeed tended to feel more prepared for overall newborn care.

However, the authors clarified that these two concepts are not the same. Some women may be keen on breastfeeding but still feel unprepared for round-the-clock newborn care. Consequently, the findings challenge the assumption that readiness to breastfeed automatically implies readiness for independent newborn care. The results demonstrate that readiness for independent newborn care can vary greatly among women even within the first 48–72 hours post-delivery.

Practically, this means that assuming childbirth automatically equates to readiness for 24-hour newborn care is not accurate. Assessing maternal readiness could be a useful starting point for discussing the support a woman requires and customizing postpartum care to her current capabilities. Prof. Izabella Uchmanowicz, dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, emphasized the practical implications of the findings for postpartum care.

A simple assessment of anxiety or perceived readiness could help health care professionals identify women who need extra assistance, particularly during the first days after childbirth when fatigue and emotional strain are often at their peak. It may be especially crucial to tailor support based on the time of day, as women reported higher readiness for daytime care compared to nighttime care.

This suggests that nighttime may represent the most demanding period, necessitating the greatest support. The rooming-in model, while beneficial, should not assume that all women have the same physical and emotional resources immediately after giving birth. A brief evaluation of maternal readiness could help identify women who require additional support earlier and enable care to be better aligned with their individual needs.