Abstract
This study clarifies the thoughts and feelings of mothers as they held their preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the significance of holding their infants for these mothers. We conducted semi-structured interviews to determine what thoughts and feelings they experienced as they held their infants. We then extracted the mothers' thoughts from the interview data and analyzed them using the KJ method. When the mothers held their preterm infants, they recognized them through the five physical senses and were able to have mother-infant interaction. Through this experience, they became aware of the beginning of motherhood. The mothers also reported that the infants' small bodies, labored breathing, body warmth and weight felt like signs from their infants. At the same time, because the mothers were able to embrace their infants, they were able to feel their infants' growth and experience positive thoughts and feelings of relief for the first time.
