title: Postpartum mothers' perceptions of competence for infant care.
abstract: A descriptive study was undertaken to examine the relationship between mothers' early postpartum experiences and their perceptions of competence for infant feeding and care. A sample of 140 primiparous and multiparous mothers completed a 68-item, self-administered questionnaire before discharge from a midwestern hospital's family-centered unit. The mothers' perceptions of competence for infant feeding and care were associated with in-hospital preparation for bottle-feeding mothers and amount of perceived rest for breastfeeding mothers. The findings suggest the need for early assessment of bottle-feeding mothers' perceived competence for infant feeding and care, and adequate provision of rest during the postpartum period for breastfeeding mothers.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009773:Obstetric Nursing; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012146:Rest; D012649:Self Concept