Who owns the baby? A video ethnography of skin-to-skin contact after a caesarean section

Women and Birth : Journal of the Australian College of Midwives
Jeni StevensHannah G Dahlen

Abstract

Providing skin-to-skin contact in the operating theatre and recovery is challenging. Barriers are reported in the provision of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact following a caesarean section. To explore how health professionals' practice impacts the facilitation of skin-to-skin contact within the first 2h following a caesarean section. Video ethnographic research was conducted utilising video recordings, observations, field notes, focus groups and interviews. The maternal body was divided in the operating theatre and mothers were perceived as 'separate' from their baby in the operating theatre and recovery. Obstetricians' were viewed to 'own' the lower half of women; anaesthetists were viewed to 'own' the top half and midwives were viewed to 'own' the baby after birth. Midwives' responsibility for the baby either negatively or positively affected the mother's ability to 'own' her baby, because midwives controlled what maternal-infant contact occurred. Mothers desired closeness with their baby, including skin-to-skin contact, however they realised that 'owning' their baby in the surgical environment could be challenging. Health professionals' actions are influenced by their environment and institutional regulations. Further edu...Continue Reading

Citations

May 2, 2020·International Breastfeeding Journal·Alison M TaylorKath M Ryan
Apr 30, 2019·MCN. the American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing·Joelene S BalateroSusan G McNiesh
Feb 21, 2021·Women and Birth : Journal of the Australian College of Midwives·Nawal AbdulghaniLisa H Amir

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