Research project
Title: A multi-cultural perspective of women's experience of immediate skin-to-skin contact with their newborn baby in the immediate period following birth.
Project timescale: From 01 June, 2006 to 01 January, 2009
(Added to website on: 12 July, 2006 - Date last updated: 06 February, 2013)
Source of funding:
Funded by Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Aims: 1. To explore, from a multi-cultural perspective, women's experiences of immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact with their babies after birth. 2. To expose and explore the experiences from the women's own perspective and to clarify whether or not this is a 'mother friendly' approach. Skin-to-skin contact is part of the hospital's care, influenced by its UNICEF 'Baby Friendly' status 3. By the end of the Professional Doctorate, the researcher will have enhanced her knowledge and understanding of research and development. The researcher will have a deeper understanding of what the experience of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby means. 4. To disseminate findings, locally, nationally and internationally , both at conferences and by publishing the findings. 5. To use the findings to inform policies, guidelines and practices to bring service users' voices into decision making
Research designs used:
Study of views/experiences
Other: Phenomenology
Methods used to collect data:
Other (please specify): Audio-taped diaries
Research project description: The design will be exploratory and descriptive involving 21 multi-gravid women. Consent will be sought from the women for their participation in the study and anonymity will be guaranteed. The women will keep an audio-taped diary for 10 days following birth and will be encouraged to talk freely about their own experience of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact. The researcher will attend a closure visit on the tenth post-natal day. All interviews and audio-taped diaries will be transcribed verbatim and the transcripts will be returned to the women for verification.
Stages at which the public were involved:
Prioritising topic areas
Planning the research
Analysing the research
Disseminating research
Other:
Description of public involvement in research stages: Local mothers attending breastfeeding support groups were consulted at the planning stage of the research and will be involved throughout the data-collection phase. Breastfeeding peer supporters will engage mothers to participate in the study from within their own cultural areas and will be utilised to disseminate the findings in culturally acceptable ways.
Training and support provided for either members of the public or researchers involved in the project:
Examples of ways the public have made a difference to the research project: Public members have helped to define the research question. They have minimised research bias by engaging women to participate in the study and provided information and obtained consent on the researcher's part. Their work will enable us to develop guidelines and policies that support a multi-cultural population and truly brings service users' voices into this process.
Evaluating the impact of public involvement in the research:
Details of publications or reports resulting from the research: The research is in its primacy. On completion the findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Articles will be published re research study, methodology and the research journal on completion of the study. The pilot study is available: Finigan, V., Davies, S. (2004) 'I just wanted to love, hold him forever': women's lived experience of skin-to-skin contact with their baby immediately after birth. The Royal College of Midwives, Evidence Based Journal. 2(2),59-65.
Links to Reports:
Was/is your project user controlled: Not Known
For further information on the project, please contact:
Val Finigan
Lead Researcher
Pennine Acute NHS Hospitals trust
225 Foxdenton Lane
Middleton
Manchester
M24 1QN
val.finigan@pat.nhs.uk
07968 690898
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