title: Postpartum fatigue, baby-care activities, and maternal-infant attachment of vaginal and cesarean births following rooming-in.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compares women's postpartum fatigue, baby-care activities, and maternal-infant attachment following vaginal and cesarean births in rooming-in settings.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Postpartum women admitted to baby-friendly hospitals are asked to stay with their babies 24 hours a day and to breastfeed on demand regardless of the type of childbirth.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a descriptive cross-sectional study design. A total of 120 postpartum women were recruited from two accredited baby-friendly hospitals in southern Taiwan. Three structured questionnaires were used to collect data, on which an analysis of covariance was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women who experienced a cesarean birth had higher postpartum fatigue scores than women who had given birth vaginally. Higher postpartum fatigue scores were correlated with greater difficulty in baby-care activities, which in turn resulted in weaker maternal-infant attachment as measured in the first 2 to 3 days postpartum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospitals should implement rooming-in in a more flexible way by taking women's postpartum fatigue and physical functioning into consideration.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Tajen University, Pingtung County, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ya-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University & Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: chhung@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chich-Hsiu
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University, & Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Te-Fu
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: Baby-care activities; Baby-friendly hospital; Maternal–infant attachment; Postpartum fatigue; Type of childbirth