The effects of the intrapartum care model given in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the mother’s maternal behavior towards her baby, breastfeeding self-efficacy, breastfeeding success, and hospital discharge readiness: a randomized controlled trial

Background: A woman’s experiences of childbirth, which represents a significant transition in the journey towards motherhood, encompass a range of factors that can influence breastfeeding, parenting behaviors, and readiness for discharge. However, research exploring the intrapartum and postpartum care aspects of the WHO-developed intrapartum care model remains scarce, particularly with regard to breastfeeding, parenting behaviors, and the readiness of the mother in the early postpartum period. Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the intrapartum care model that adheres to the guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO) on several key outcomes, including the mother’s maternal behavior towards her infant postpartum, breastfeeding self-efficacy, the success of breastfeeding, and the mother’s readiness for hospital discharge. Methods: The study was a randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted with 128 primiparous pregnant women (intervention group n = 64, control group n = 64) admitted to the maternity unit of a training and research hospital in a province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. The pregnant women in the intervention group were provided with intrapartum care in accordance with the WHO recommendations following the achievement of cervical dilatation reaching 5 cm. The control group was provided with only standard intrapartum and postpartum care. The data were collected using a personal information form, a postpartum parenting behavior scale, a breastfeeding self-efficacy scale, a breastfeeding charting system and documentation tool (LATCH), and a hospital discharge readiness scale. Results: The mean scores for parenting behavior and breastfeeding self-efficacy of the women in the intervention group who received intrapartum care in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations were found to be significantly higher than those of the women in the control group (p < 0.001). Additionally, the mean LATCH score of the women in the intervention group (9.6 ± 0.8) was higher than that of the women in the control group (8.4 ± 1.6) and no breastfeeding problems were observed (p < 0.001). The women in the intervention group exhibited a higher level of readiness for hospital discharge (176.3 ± 10.7) compared to the women in the control group (149.6 ± 13.7). The mean score for the subscale “expected support” on the readiness for hospital discharge scale was found to be 9 ± 7.2 in the intervention group, which was considerably lower than the mean score of the control group (15.2 ± 8.4). It was determined that women in the intervention group who received the intrapartum care model required less support in the postpartum period compared to women in the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The intrapartum care model provided in line with WHO recommendations increases mothers’ parenting behavior, breastfeeding self-efficacy, and breastfeeding success, and supports them to be more ready for discharge from the hospital.