2020 Volume 20 Issue 1 Pages 52-60
Purpose: This study aimed to clarify how mothers who give birth to twins perceive the Maternal and Child Health Handbook.
Methods: Five mothers who had given birth to twins were interviewed using a semi-structured format. Data was analyzed by qualitative descriptive study.
Results: Results showed that these mothers who had given birth to twins, regarded the handbook as “evidence of their readiness to become mothers of twins,” “hope of becoming a good mother,” “something that should prevent anxiety related to having a high-risk pregnancy,” “a medical record that shows how the child is developing” and “they stopped using the handbook on their own.” Some mothers, the fact that the handbook’s fetal growth chart was for a single child strengthened the perception that their pregnancies were high risk. In addition, early hospitalization for monitoring during late pregnancy led to a lapse in the mothers’ awareness of the handbook as a personal tool.
Conclusion: In a twin pregnancy, it is important to try to reduce the mother’s anxiety by providing her with health-related guidance based on the physical indicators related to her health and to the health of her children. Moreover encourage twins mother to continue to use the handbook during early hospitalization for monitoring.
