Postpartum care promotion based on maternal education needs: A mixed study

The postpartum period can be considered as one of the most sensitive stages of life in different countries; however, it is inadequate in many developed and developing countries. We aimed to determine the educational needs of mothers in the postpartum period in Bojnourd.

This study was conducted in Bojnourd 2019 with two parts: a qualitative part using the content analysis method and a quantitative part using the descriptive cross‑sectional method. Data were collected 45 interviews with women, spouses, and key informants. All content was recorded and fully transcribed on paper. MaxQda10software was used for the data management. A simultaneous descriptive cross‑sectional study was done including 250 pregnant in the third trimester (25.6%), in the first 48 h after delivery (24.4%), in the first 6 months after delivery (24.4%), and in the second 6 months after childbirth (25.6%) who referred to five health centers in Bojnourd to receive midwifery care. Quota sampling was performed for each center according to the population covered, and convenient sampling was done in each center.

In the qualitative study, educational needs were classified into four main categories, including “maintaining and restoring physical health,” “sexual health needs,” “mental health needs,” and “educational barriers.” In the quantitative study, according to the findings, the most educational needs among mothers were self‑care and breastfeeding and the best time for teaching was during the pregnancy, and the best method was face‑to‑face training and the best source of information was midwives and gynecologists.

Attention to the educational needs of each region can be done through various training courses and continuous retraining to promote health provider and should be considered in the planning officials.