Postpartum Stressors from Mothers Point of View

The postpartum period has been conceptualized in a variety of cultures as a time of vulnerability for women, characterized by dramatic social and personal changes for the mother, who must adjust to several inexperienced difficulties and concerns. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, postpartum stressors from mothers point of view were evaluated. Study population included women referring to state health care centers in Kerman city. Based on the pilot study, sample size was estimated 400 individuals. Sampling was performed through improbability method. After confirming its validity and stability, data were gathered by a two-section questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out through central and distributional indices, Pearson coefficient of correlations, t-test and ANOVA. 47.5% of mothers were in the age group of 21-25. Among maternal stressful factors, the highest mean score (3.11) was found for “postpartum breast enlarging” and “postpartum hemorrhage”. Deeming the neonate-related stressors, “diaper changing” with mean score of 3.30 was found the most important stressor, whereas with regard to stressful factors relating to social support, “variety of opinions among family members about neonate care” had the highest mean scores (3.20). There was no significant difference in total scores of stressful factors and three containing domains, based on demographic features. Since the postpartum stressors found in this study can be feasibly removed, providing ante-partum education for mothers with more effective educational programs guided by health-care personnel, especially at the time of discharge, is highly recommended.