title: Exploring the skin-to-skin contact experience during cesarean section.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore and describe the mother's experience of holding her neonate in skin-to-skin contact (SSC) immediately after cesarean delivery during surgical closure and recovery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven women between the ages of 23 and 38 years, who had achieved 39.1-40.2 weeks gestational age, participated in an ethnographic study using observations and interviews with the mothers conducted at 24-48 h postdelivery. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analysis of both observational notes and transcripts were used to analyze the data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from this study describe the mother's experience of SSC during cesarean section. The primary theme that emerged was mutual caregiving: the mother-neonatal interaction and their shared and reciprocal relationship and benefits during SSC. Two contextual issues also were illuminated (a) the father's influence on the SSC experience and (b) the cesarean environment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With cesarean section the most common surgical procedure among American women, advanced practice nurses are in a unique position to encourage and educate women on the use of SSC for their benefit and that of their newborn. Advanced practice nurses are also empowered to influence institutional policy on SSC during cesarean deliveries at the local and national level.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Anitra C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Frederick
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Nancy H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Busen
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Joan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Engebretson
authors.affiliation: Women's Support Services, Pavilion for Women, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.|Pediatrics/Neonatology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.affiliation: Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, Houston, Texas.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008016:Life Change Events; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014110:Touch
keywords: Qualitative; cesarean section; maternal experience; skin-to-skin contact