[Rooming-in in the maternity ward--are mothers satisfied?].
BACKGROUND
24-hour rooming-in in Norwegian maternity wards has been introduced as one of the "10 steps to successful breastfeeding", the basis for WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. This step, optimal in order to get lactation off to a flying start, has lead to some worry about maternal fatigue.


METHODS
Self-administrated questionnaires to health care personnel as well as to mothers in all Norwegian maternity wards were used to evaluate the impact of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. The same mothers were interviewed again 15 months later.


RESULTS
Many (52%) felt tired after giving birth, but most (85%) were content with the care received. There was no difference in tiredness between mothers who chose to keep their babies with them and those who did not. Only 3.3% cited this at a main reason for tiredness.


CONCLUSIONS
Most mothers felt positive about keeping their infants with them at night. This demonstrates that Norwegian maternity wards generally have been able to implement 24 hour rooming-in in a caring way. Staff should offer to look after fussy babies without mothers demanding it and give the new mothers care and support in all possible ways.
Nysaether
Hilde
H
Nasjonalt ammesenter Rikshospitalet 0027 Oslo. gro.nylander@rikshospitalet.no
Baerug
Anne
A
Nylander
Gro
G
Klepp
Knut-Inge
KI
D001942:Breast Feeding; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D009664:Norway; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012386:Rooming-in Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires