Postpartum Comfort and Mother-Infant Bonding: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to examine postpartum comfort levels and mother-infant bonding among mothers admitted to the Obstetrics Unit of Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital (EUMFH), and to identify factors influencing these outcomes. The sample consisted of 153 mothers who met the inclusion criteria and gave birth within the preceding three days. Data were collected using the Mother-Infant Introductory Information Form, the Postpartum Comfort Scale (PCS), and the Mother-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS). The mean total PCS score was 95.37±39.05, indicating a moderate-to-low postpartum comfort level. Positive bonding scores averaged 1.86±0.91 and negative bonding scores averaged 0.79±0.61. Statistically significant differences were found between postpartum comfort and maternal age (p<0.001), number of pregnancies (p<0.001), number of living children (p<0.001), intentionality of pregnancy (p<0.001), and type of anesthesia (p<0.05). Mothers aged 38–47 years reported the lowest comfort levels. Primigravid mothers demonstrated significantly higher comfort and positive bonding scores compared to multigravid mothers. These findings underscore the importance of individualized care in the postpartum period to optimize maternal comfort and strengthen mother-infant attachment.