Föräldrars erfarenheter av tidigt föräldrastöd

: en kvalitativ intervjustudie

Abstract

Background: Parent support offered in Sweden has undergone changes through the years. As parents of newborns gets discharged from the hospital earlier than before, the demands for a changed parent support both at the birth center (BB) and at the children´s healthcare center (BVC) increases. Parent support is the core of all forms of maternal health care and child health care and it is integrated in every meeting that the district nurse and midwife has with the parents. The definition in this study of early parent support includes the child's first two weeks of life. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe parents' experiences of early parent support during the child's first two weeks of life. Method: A qualitative approach was used. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers and fathers who recently had a baby. The interviews were analyzed based on a qualitative content analysis. Results: An overall theme is presented: A sense of increased security. The results show that parents need support in their parental role to achieve a sense of security. The parents feel that it is important for the family to be seen as a whole in which all parties need their share of support. The results are summarized in two categories: Security for my and my family's sake and The ability of the staff to produce a feeling of security. Conclusion: It is of the parentsˈ experience that support is important and needed during the child’s first two weeks of life. Previous research confirms the results of this study, however, there is limited research in this area based on parents' experiences and therefore a need for further research.