title: Mothers' experiences of having a preterm infant in the neonatal care unit: a meta-synthesis.
abstract: Neonatal nurses today are challenged not only to provide the best possible developmental care for a preterm infant but also to help the mother through an uncertain motherhood toward a feeling of being a real mother for her preterm baby. An increasing interest in mothers' experiences of having a preterm baby is seen. A meta-synthesis of 14 qualitative research studies on mothers' experiences of having a preterm baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, published from 2000 onward, was conducted. Noblit and Hare's methodological approach was used. The meta-synthesis revealed five metaphors that captured the mothers' experiences. These metaphors centered on reciprocal relationships that consisted of mother-baby relationship ("from their baby to my baby"), maternal development (a striving to be a real normal mother), the turbulent neonatal environment (from foreground to background), maternal caregiving and role reclaiming strategies (from silent vigilance to advocacy), and mother-nurse relationship (from continuously answering questions through chatting to sharing of knowledge). Implications of the meta-synthesis for neonatal nursing are addressed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, Department of Nursing Science, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. aagaard@nursingscience.au.dk
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aagaard
authors.forename: Elisabeth O C
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D008016:Life Change Events; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept