Objectives: To explore why so few mothers breastfeed when their babies are admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and to gain an understanding of the impact of this for the mothers and staff involved. DESIGN: This study adopted an ethnographic approach. The data collection involved 135 hours of participant observation over a 6-month period and 32 semi-structured interviews of 17 mothers, 10 nurses, and 5 physicians. Findings: Data from the participants’ interviews and the participant observation were analysed focusing on the two different perspectives; one relating to the mothers and the other to the staff members and their working conditions. The mothers’ experiences were revealed as a developing process as their feeling changed from fearful and terrifying toward becoming and feeling like a ‘real’ mother. Their experience of mothering and breastfeeding differed from their expectations in that breastfeeding became a complex process for some and impossible for others. Five distinct themes emerged; the first highlighted the crisis, which involved the mother's feelings of emotional instability, their strategies for coping such as not visiting the baby, and recognition of the NICU as a stressful environment. The second theme described issues relating to control and power. This involved the perception of having a lack of control and needing to seek permission, the use of language as a mechanism for control, and mothers being placed in a subordinate role. The third theme related to the separation, which included difficulties of acceptance, feeling like stranger and not being important, and the need for physical closeness. Acceptance and adaptation comprised the fourth theme in which gradual acceptance occurred and a spiritual aspect emerged. The final theme, becoming a mother, included issues such as the special moments, breastfeeding as a turning point, and practical and informational needs. Almost all the mothers in this study spoke about going through all these stages during their infants’ stay in the NICU. Analysis of these findings suggests that mothers who deliver prematurely, may have their rite of passage into motherhood interrupted, resulting in them being placed in a position of suspended liminality. v The data also suggest that while staff members agree with the benefits of breastfeeding for preterm infants, the actual implementation of a breastfeeding policy within the neonatal units is more problematic. Three key themes emerged from the analysis relating to the staff perspectives. The first described the contradiction that exists between the staff beliefs and behaviours in relation to breastfeeding and supporting mothers. Elements that comprised this theme were “breast milk is best”, perceiving breastfeeding promotion as a nicety not a necessity; lacking support for mothers, and abdication of responsibility. The second theme related to their working conditions: this included a lack of institutional support for the health care team, and barriers to support breastfeeding. The final theme of controlling relationships captured the essence of the practitioner: mother association. Together, these elements revealed a situation whereby staff appeared more preoccupied in addressing the task aspect of care for the babies than supporting mothers in feeding and subsequently mothering their preterm child. Conclusions: An understanding of the experiences of mothers of preterm infants who wish to breastfeed, and the connection that breastfeeding has to the process of becoming a mother, allows for the finding of more positive strategies to support mothers and breastfeeding within the NICU. This study reveals a new understanding of how breastfeeding is connected to the process of becoming a mother, within the context of two Jordanian NICUs. It also highlights the difficult working conditions for nurses within these units. It is anticipated that recognition of these findings may assist with service developments and lead to improvements in the NICU environment in Jordan, thus enhancing health care delivery in accordance with the individual needs of infants and their mothers.

Introduction Statistics show a declining trend despite the many benefits of breastfeeding. Aim The aim was to investigate how new mothers experienced the care associated with childbirth, with focus on breastfeeding. Method The study included mothers who gave birth in a hospital in the middle region of Sweden during 2011, and who responded to an online survey (n≈1000). The present study was based upon answers from the open questions concerning dissatisfaction and suggestions for improvement and have been categorized using content analysis. Results Mothers described failure in several areas, with a negative impact on breastfeeding. Many experienced that they had not been seen and treated like an individual, and that the healthcare staff had been unpleasant, impersonal, ignorant and stressed. Mothers wanted more credit from the staff concerning their own ability and some reported that they had been controlled and ”run over”. They experienced care work as unstructured with failure in both procedures and communication. Lack of staff continuity made it difficult for mothers to feel trust and create a relationship. Furthermore, major failure in information and support was reported. Conclusion Although the majority of mothers were satisfied with the early care after giving birth, the open answers showed several areas in need of improvements, among other things individualized care was requested.

Background: The death of a child has been found to have long term consequences for both individual and family functioning. This is particularly true for bereaved siblings who have been found to be at increased risk of developing mental health difficulties in later life. Literature on parental bereavement proposes that the parenting phenomenon, such as replacement child syndrome, subsequent child syndrome and the parenting paradox, which can emerge after the death of a child, may account for this. However, there is very little research on these labels of observed parenting phenomenon and, as a result, any hypothesis offered remains under elaborated. In addition, limited evidence suggests that, due to the sudden, unexpected and unexplained nature of the loss, SIDS parents are more likely to experience a greater degree of distress and adjustment difficulties than other perinatally bereaved populations. Given this, it could be hypothesised that SIDS parents may be likely to experience these parenting phenomena. Despite this, however, SIDS remains a neglected area of research. Aims: As a consequence of this research gap, the study aims to explore mothers’ experiences of parenting in their transition from being a parent unaffected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to a parent affected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven mothers who had experienced an incident of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The interviews were then transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Five master themes emerged from the analysis: ‘Channelling the Parent Within’, a naturally developing and responsive parenting style that is facilitated by internal mechanisms, such as flexibility and confidence; ‘Parenting Outside of Yourself’, a parenting style that develops in the aftermath of a SIDS event, which is characterised by self doubt and a reliance on external mechanisms such as reassurance and restriction; ‘Restoration Through You’, the restorative effect of the subsequent and surviving children, which allows vindication and re-establishes happiness; ‘The Bitter Restoration’, a restoration that encompasses internal knowledge and external evidence of loss, including a disrupted family composition and a continued awareness of existential threat; ‘A Disruptive Appreciation’, the development of a greater appreciation for the subsequent and surviving children that impacts discipline and incorporates indulgence. These, along with the subthemes contributing to them, are presented as a narrative account. Conclusion: The results imply that mothers who have experienced a SIDS event shift into a permissive and anxious style of parenting which is characterised by safety behaviours. A model of parenting in the aftermath of SIDS has been proposed in order to explain the underlying cognitions and processes which drive this behaviour and the factors which serve to maintain it. By doing this it is hoped that, when working with bereaved parents and siblings, clinicians will be better positioned to frame parenting practices and intervene at a cognitive level.

Bakgrund: Trots att amning har många fördelar och de flesta mödrar väljer att amma sina barn så sjunker amningsfrekvensen både globalt och i Sverige. Trots WHO ́s rekommendationer så väljer många mödrar att avsluta amningen innan rekommenderad tid. Detta skulle kunna bero på att mödrarna stöter på problem med amningen och inte får den hjälp de behöver för att välja att fortsätta amma. Amningen väljs bort när det finns alternativ som bröstmjölksersättning. BVC-sjuksköterskan har en viktig uppgift då hen blir den första kontakten för mödrarna efter förlossningen. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa mödrars upplevelse av BVC-sjuksköterskans stöd vid amningsproblem. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ design och datainsamlingen genomfördes via semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio mödrar från olika delar av Sverige. Dataanalysen skedde utifrån en kvalitativ innehållsanalys med en manifest ansats. Resultat: I den dataanalys som gjordes framkom tre huvudkategorier: Önskan om ökat engagemang, Bristande kunskap orsakade minskat förtroende och Uteblivet stöd skapade inre stress.  Konklusion: Studiens resultat har påvisat att BVC-sjuksköterskan spelar en stor roll för mödrar som ammar och har problem med amningen. BVC-sjuksköterskan är den som mödrarna vänder sig till för att få amningsstöd. Det engagemang och intresse som BVC-sjuksköterskan visar har stor betydelse för hur upplevelsen av stödet blir, men även den kunskap om amning som BVC-sjuksköterskan besitter spelar stor roll. Bristande stöd resulterade i att mödrarna tvivlade på sig själva. / Background: Although breastfeeding has many advantages and most mothers choose to breastfeed their children, the breastfeeding rate is declining both globally and in Sweden. Despite the WHO's recommendations, many mothers choose to end breastfeeding earlier. This could be due to the mothers encountering problems with breastfeeding and don’t get the help they need to choose to continue. Breastfeeding is opted out when there are alternatives such as breast milk substitutes. The child-healthcare center (CHC-)nurse has an important task as she becomes the first point of contact for mothers after childbirth. Aim: The aim of the study was to shed light on mothers' experience of the CHC-nurse's support during breastfeeding problems. Method: The study has a qualitative design and the data collection was carried out via semi-structured interviews with ten mothers from different parts of Sweden. The data analysis was based on a qualitative content analysis with a manifest approach. Results: In the data analysis that was carried out, three main categories emerged: The desire for increased commitment, Lack of knowledge caused reduced trust  and Lack of support created internal stress. Conclusion: The results of the study have shown that the CHC-nurse plays a major role for mothers who are breastfeeding and have problems with breastfeeding. The CHC-nurse is the one the mothers turn to for breastfeeding support. The commitment and interest that the CHC-nurse shows is of great importance to how the support is experienced, but also that the knowledge of breastfeeding that the CHC-nurse possesses, is important. The lack of support made the mothers doubt themselves.

Människors olikheter bemöts ofta med fördomar och stereotypa uppfattningar, men detär av största vikt att förstå att ingen människa är en funktionsvariation, utan en unikindivid med en unik personlighet. Denna studies syfte var att få en djupare förståelse förhur mammor till barn med autismdiagnos upplever samt känslomässigt ochbeteendemässigt hanterade hur allmänheten bemötte deras barn. Studiens resultatkopplades an till Goffmans teorier om face samt stigma och motstrategier till stigma.Studien hade en kvalitativ fenomenologisk inriktning och var uppbyggd påsemistrukturerade intervjuer med 10 stycken mammor till barn med autismdiagnos.Resultatet visade att mammor till barn med autismdiagnos upplevde både negativa ochpositiva bemötanden gentemot barnen. Negativa bemötanden ledde till negativa känslorhos mammorna, medan positiva bemötanden ledde till positiva känslor. Dock kundeman se en majoritet av negativa bemötanden. Mammornas hantering av ett negativtbemötande från omgivningen tog sig uttryck i att försvara eller hjälpa sitt barn, eller attlämna, alternativt välja bort den sociala interaktionen. Slutligen kunde konstateras attdet på mikronivå fortfarande fanns mycket att göra för att främja känslan av acceptansför olikheter i samhället. / Human differences are often addressed with prejudices and stereotypical perceptions,but it is important to understand that no one is their disability, but a unique individualwith a unique personality. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understandingof how mothers of children with autism experienced, and emotionally and behaviorallydealt with how the public responded to the children. The results of the study were linkedto Goffman's theories about face, stigma and counter strategies to stigma. The study hada qualitative phenomenological focus and was based on semistructured interviews with10 mothers of children with autism. The result showed that mothers of children withautism experienced both negative and positive responses towards the children. Negativeresponses led to negative emotions, while positive responses led to positive emotions.However, one could see a majority of negative receptions. How the mothers dealt withnegative response from the environment was expressed in defending or helping herchild, alternatively leaving the social interaction. Finally, it was found that at a microlevel there was still a lot to do to promote the sense of acceptance for differences insociety.

Bakgrund: Postpartumdepression (PPD) är en depression som debuterar efter förlossningen och kan drabba både män och kvinnor i all ålder och i all kultur. Postpartumdepressionen för med sig särskilda risker som kan innebära allvarliga konsekvenser för familjer. Forskning om PPD fokuserar i huvudsak på mödrars upplevelser och påverkan på barnet och familjen. Medan fäderna upplevelser har saknats. PPD kan drabba fäderna i lika stor utsträckning som mödrar men fortfarande ett dolt problem. Syfte: Postpartumdepression (PPD) är en depression som debuterar efter förlossningen och kan drabba både män och kvinnor i all ålder och i all kultur. Postpartumdepressionen för med sig särskilda risker som kan innebära allvarliga konsekvenser för familjer. Forskning om PPD fokuserar i huvudsak på mödrars upplevelser och påverkan på barnet och familjen. Medan fäderna upplevelser har saknats. PPD kan drabba fäderna i lika stor utsträckning som mödrar men fortfarande ett dolt problem. Metod: En litteraturöversikt utfördes med tio kvalitativa studier om föräldrarnas upplevelser av PPD. Artiklarnas olika tema identifierades, jämfördes, analyserades för att sedan kategoriseras i de slutgiltiga teman som presenterades i detta arbete. Resultat: Tre huvudteman redovisades: Postpartumdepressionens inverkan på det känslomässiga livet och självbilden, Postpartumdepressionens inverkan på attityder och sist Postpartumdepressionens inverkan på förmågan att söka stöd. Diskussion:  Föräldrarna upplever att postpartumdepression har stor inverkan i deras liv. Sjukdomens okunskap och stigma hindrar de att söka stöd. Fäderna upplever att de nonchaleras. Allmänsjukvårdspersonal bör söka sig kunskapen om vilken inverkan postpartumdepression har på föräldrars liv och hur föräldrarna upplever postpartumdepression. Detta skulle bidra till att bemötande förbättras som i sin tur skulle leda till att mer föräldrar söker vård för postpartumdepression / Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a depression that debuts after childbirth and can affect both men and women of all ages and in all cultures. Postpartum depression brings with it particular risks that can have serious consequences for families. Research on postpartum depression mainly focuses on maternal experiences and the influence on the child and the family while researches on father`s experiences have been lacking. Postpartum depression can affect fathers to the same extent as mothers but still a hidden problem. Aim: The aim was to highlight parents´ experiences of postpartum depression. Method: A literature review was conducted with ten qualitative studies of the parents' experiences of postpartum depression. The different topics were identified, compared, analyzed and then categorized into the final themes presented in this paper. Results: Three main themes were reported: Postpartum depression impact on emotional life and self-image, Postpartum depression impact on attitudes and last Postpartum depression impact on the ability to seek support. Discussion: Postpartum depression has a major impact on parents’ lives. The lack of knowledge on the disease and the stigma upon it prevents parents from seeking support. Fathers rapports that they are left by side. General healthcare professionals should seek knowledge about the effect of postpartum depression on parents' lives and how they themselves experience the disease. This would help improve treatment, which would in turn lead to more parents seek help for postpartum depression.