Motherhood and Role Confidence in the Immediate Postpartum Period

Abstract

Being a mother is motherhood which means maternal role attainment and has to meet maternal identity and role confidence of caring infant.This study was designed to examine maternal identity as a motherhood and role confidence in the immediate postpartum period, and then explain the correlations of them. Data were collected for 2 months by questionnaires from 64 mothers in the hospital. The scales were to measure motherhood questionnaire which consisted of 11 items and role confidence questionnaire which consisted of 13 items.The analysis of data was done with SPSSWIN program for descriptive statistics and t-test, ANOVA, Multiple Regression Analysis.The results were as follows: 1. Mean score of maternal identity of primipara was 55.41 and multipara was 53.81. In this outcome primipara's score was higher than multipara's.2.Mean score of role confidence of primipara was 44.0 and multipara was 46.81. Multipara's score was higher than primipara's.3.Correlation between maternal identity and role confidence was r=0.29(P=0.03).This was a interesting result. Because many studies reported that primipara had a lower score of maternal identity and role confidence than multipara's. But this study showed that primipara's score of maternal identity was higher than multipara's. So nurse has to support primipara's identity as a mother, taking advantage of nursing intervention from prenatal to postnatal periods. Also nurse has to offer many opportunities to experience premiparas and multiparas how to care their infants.