Teenage Maternal

Competency in
Breastfeeding and
Immediate Newborn Care
REPORTED BY
!R"NC#E$C" O%I&I" D' N"P"%IT( RN
INTROD)CTION

Teenage is a transitional period between

c*ild*ood and ad+lt*ood( c*aracteri,ed by
biological( psyc*ological( and social
c*anges'

-*en a teenager becomes pregnant( t*e

psyc*ological ad.+stment of pregnancy is
added to t*e c*allenges in t*e transition of
teenagers /%ittleton 0 Engebretson( 12234'
INTROD)CTION

Teenage mot*ers( t*erefore( *a5e specific needs for

*elp to s+ccessf+lly na5igate t*ro+g* t*e combined
demands of adolescent de5elopment and t*eir role
as a new parent'

&ario+s terms *a5e been +sed to describe t*e role of

becoming a mot*er( from maternal role attainment /
Mercer( 67734 to t*e more recent 5iew of t*e ongoing
process of becoming a mot*er /Mercer( 12284'
INTROD)CTION

Researc*ers identify t*e significance of role identity(

social s+pport relations*ips( and de5elopmental
perspecti5es for t*e adolescent mot*er as s*e
adapts to t*e demands of parenting /
9ee 0 R*odes( 122:4'

In addition( an adolescent;s positi5e self<perception

of parenting is infl+enced by *a5ing dependable
social s+pport relations*ips (feeling confident and
being satisfied in *er role as a mot*er'
INTROD)CTION

" fre=+ently cited as an area of maternal concern are

feeding and newborn care w*ic* are a considerable
portion of t*e daily care t*at mot*ers pro5ide to t*eir
infants /Bowman( 1223

Teenagers are also less cogniti5ely prepared to

engage in newborn care( e>perience more stress in
parenting( and are less adapti5e in t*eir parenting
style w*en compared wit* ad+lt mot*ers /
9ee 0 R*odes( 122:4'
DE!INITION

Maternal role attainment is a process in w*ic* t*e

mot*er ac*ie5es competence in t*e role and
integrates t*e mot*ering be*a5iors into *er
establis*ed role so t*at s*e is comfortable wit* *er
identity as a mot*er /Mercer and !er?tic*( 67734'

Competence is t*e ac=+isition of ?nowledge s?ills

and abilities at a le5el of e>pertise s+fficient to be
able to perform in an appropriate wor? setting'
/Pintric* and $c*+n?( 677@4'
DE!INITION

Care of all newborns incl+des immediate and

t*oro+g* drying( s?in to s?in contact of t*e
newborn wit* t*e mot*er( cord clamping and
c+tting after t*e first min+tes after birt*(
early initiation of breastfeeding( and
e>cl+si5e breastfeeding /-#O( 126:4
DE!INITION

Breastfeeding( also called n+rsing( is t*e

process of feeding *+man breast mil? to an
infant( eit*er directly from t*e breast or by
e>pressing /p+mping o+t4 t*e mil? from t*e
breast and bottle<feeding it to t*e infant'
Breastfeeding and breast mil? pro5ide an
infant wit* essential calories and n+trients
/National Instit+te of C*ild #ealt* 0 #+man
De5elopment( 1227 4
$I9NI!IC"NCE O! T#E $T)DY

T*is st+dy will be a significant endea5or in

impro5ing ad.+stments and practice of
breastfeeding and immediate newborn care
for teenage mot*ers' T*e st+dy will also be
beneficial for *ealt* care professionals in
ed+cating teenage mot*ers to enable t*em
pro5ide competent care for t*eir
infantsAc*ildren and facilitating en*ancement
of maternal role competency'
$I9NI!IC"NCE O! T#E $T)DY

!inally t*e st+dy res+lt *as an implication for

n+rsing profession beca+se it generates
n+rsing ?nowledge t*at co+ld be
incorporated into t*e care of mot*ers and
infantAc*ildren( gi5es lig*t and indicates
direction to areas of f+t+re researc* in t*is
partic+lar en=+iries'
T#EORETIC"% !R"ME-ORB

Mercer;s Maternal Role "ttainment T*eory

ser5ed as t*e t*eoretical framewor? for t*is
st+dy'

Maternal role attainment is a process in

w*ic* t*e Cmot*er ac*ie5es competence in
t*e role and integrates t*e mot*ering
be*a5iors into *er establis*ed role set( so
t*at s*e is comfortable wit* *er identity as a
mot*erD /Mercer( 67E3( p' 67E4'
T#EORETIC"% !R"ME-ORB

T*e concepts of MercerFs t*eory center on

t*e bond between mot*er and c*ild w*ic*
fosters competency( confidence and .oy in
t*e mot*er*ood role /Role "ttainment( 12234'

!rom a t*eoretical perspecti5e( maternal

competence is a component of t*e maternal
role and is embedded wit*in t*e microsystem
of t*e mot*er'
$tages of Becoming a Mot*er

T*e concepts of MercerFs t*eory center on t*e

bond between mot*er and c*ild w*ic* fosters
competency( confidence and .oy in t*e
mot*er*ood role /Role "ttainment( 12234'

MercerFs original maternal role attainment

t*eory follows a process t*at *as fo+r stages' In
1228 Mercer re5ised t*e terms of t*ese stages
alt*o+g* t*e stages t*emsel5es remain
basically t*e same'
$tages of Becoming a Mot*er

CCommitment( attac*ment( and preparationD

stage d+ring pregnancy w*en t*e mot*er ma?es
psyc*ological ad.+sts and prepares for t*e
e>pectations of *er new role'

C"c=+aintance( learning( and p*ysical

restorationD stage w*ic* begins wit* t*e
infantFs birt* w*en t*e role of mot*er is
ass+med and learned in t*e conte>ts of *er
social system'
$tages of Becoming a Mot*er

CMo5ing toward a new normalD stage in t*e

first few mont*s of t*e infantFs life w*ere t*e
mot*er ma?es *er new role fit *er lifestyle in a
personal way instead of in conte>t wit* a social
system'

$tages of Becoming a Mot*er
C"c*ie5ement of maternal identityD stage w*en
t*e mot*er internali,es *er role and e>periences
a sense of *armony( competence and
confidence w*ic* +s+ally occ+rs abo+t 8
mont*s after birt*'
T#EORETIC"% !R"ME-ORB
Experiences on breastfeeding and
newborn care
Adjustments to ensure adherence
and compliance
Attitudes towards breastfeeding
and newborn care
Stress
Social
Support
Family Functioning
commitment, attachment, and preparation
Teenage Maternal Role ompetence
ac!uaintance, learning, and physical restoration
mo"ing toward a new normal
achie"ement of maternal identity
RE&IE- O! %ITER"T)RE

C$elf<Perceptions of Parenting "mong

"dolescent Mot*ersD by Gosep*ine De &ito

CBreastfeeding be*a5iors and e>periences of

adolescent mot*ersD by #G $pear/122@4
H)E$TION$

-*at is yo+r age w*en yo+ first ga5e birt*I

#ow many c*ildren do yo+ *a5eI

-*ere do yo+ li5eI -it* w*om do yo+ li5eI

-*at is yo+r so+rce of incomeI

#ow did yo+ breastfeedI

#ow and w*ere did yo+ learn breastfeedingI

-*at can yo+ say w*en yo+ first breastfeedI

H)E$TION$

#ow did yo+ do immediate newborn careI

#ow and w*ere did yo+ learn immediate

newborn careI

Do yo+ *a5e prenatal c*ec?<+pI If yes( w*yI

If no( w*yI

#ow often do yo+ go for prenatal c*ec? +pI

-*ereI
H)E$TION$

Do yo+ follow t*e prenatal c*ec? +p

sc*ed+leI If yes( w*yI If no( w*yI

-*at ad.+stments did yo+ do to ens+re

ad*erence and complianceI

-*at do yo+ s+ggest for teenage mot*ers

li?e yo+ to *elp impro5e t*e ad.+stments and
practice of breastfeeding and immediate
newborn care to ens+re ad*erence and
complianceI
"DDITION"% H)E$TION$

-*at was yo+r birt*ing e>perienceI

#ow was yo+r e>perience as a teenage

mot*erI

-*at were t*e ad.+stments made from t*e

transition of being a teenager to being a
mot*erI

Can yo+ tell t*at yo+ *a5e been a competent

mot*erI If yes( w*yI If no( w*yI

-*at are yo+r f+t+re plansI

PROB%EM$ IDENTI!IED

Bnowledge deficit in maternal and c*ild care

Interr+pted breastfeeding

Parental role strain

CONC%)$ION

T*e present st+dy fo+nd t*at teenage

mot*ers *a5e barriers in attaining maternal
competence' One of t*em is t*e lac? in
?nowledge of breastfeeding and newborn
care' T*ey solely rely for information on t*eir
social s+pport w*ic* is composed of
significant ot*ers and *ealt* professionals
considering t*eir mot*ers as t*e primary
so+rce of social s+pport'
CONC%)$ION

Teenage mot*ers are mostly 5+lnerable to

stress since t*ey *a5e m+ltiple roles t*+s
neglecting ot*er maternal roles li?e e>cl+si5e
breastfeeding' #owe5er( t*ey stri5e to
impro5e t*eir maternal competence and *a5e
a positi5e 5iew abo+t mot*er*ood'
CONC%)$ION

T*eir maternal role competence is based

from t*eir attit+des( e>periences and
ad.+stments w*ic* were mainly infl+enced
by t*eir microsystem' $ocial s+pport plays
an integral role in en*ancing teenage
maternal competence'
CONC%)$ION

By increasing t*eir +nderstanding of teenage

mot*ersF meaning of t*e e>perience of
becoming a parent( n+rses and c*ildbirt*
ed+cators can de5elop additional programs(
acti5ities( and ed+cational opport+nities t*at
assist teenage mot*ers wit* t*eir f+t+re
goals and aspirations'
T#E END