Abstract
Background and Objectives : This study is to identify the relationship between self-evaluation mothers found in their experience of delivering twins and maternal identity during the early postpartum period.
Subjects and Methods : Subjects were 11 mothers with twins, 7 primiparas and 4 multigravidas. Seven received infertility treatment and 4 had natural pregnancies. Two of 11 had vaginal delivery and 9 caesarean section. The study was conducted between February 1999 and August 2000. Interviews were given on the third postpartum day for mothers with vaginal delivery and after stabilization of their general condition for mothers of caesarean section. Before interviews, we confirmed that subjects were free of wound pain. Interview was semiconstitutive with 2 categories of questions on delivery experience and maternal identity. On delivery experience, the questions were “How was your delivery?”, “What score do you give to your delivery experience?”, and “What is the reason for the score ?” On formation and change in maternal identity we asked, “When did you feel you were a mother?”, “What is your satisfaction about being a mother ?”, “What do you think about your child's care?”, and “What do you think about your child's growth?” Interviews were recorded and transcribed for self-evaluation of the delivery experience and analysis of maternal identity.
Discussion : Self-scoring of delivery experience satisfaction (100 points maximum) did not show any difference in the mode of delivery. It was totally influenced by personal situations.
Factors affecting self-evaluation of the experience did not differ from those of mothers of one baby previously studied by Tokiwa et al (2000). They included the health status of mothers during pregnancy, informed consent of delivery plans, satisfaction with delivery, health status of newborns, contact with newborns right after delivery, and attitude and involvement of obstetric staffs.
Mothers who found positive value in the experience took active involvement in childcare. Some mothers who had negative value sometimes refused breast feeding and others grew out of the feeling that babies were lovely, these mothers were identified as having greater need for psychological support by experts.
