A Nurse-Led Four-Step Storytelling Program to Reduce Anxiety and Boost Breastfeeding Confidence in Women Having Planned Cesarean Sections

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a nurse-led 4-step narrative nursing program to see if it can reduce anxiety and improve breastfeeding confidence in mothers having planned or non-emergency cesarean sections. The study addresses common issues among Chinese cesarean mothers, including high anxiety and risk of postpartum depression, as well as low confidence in breastfeeding. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups usual care or usual care plus the narrative nursing program. The narrative nursing involves four short conversations with a trained nurse at specific times before surgery to discuss fears, 24-48 hours after surgery to separate pain or worries from the self, before discharge to build a positive strong-mom story, and a phone call two weeks later to reinforce the story and review feeding success. During the study, mothers will be assessed for anxiety at 48 hours after surgery using the STAI scale, as well as for depression risk, breastfeeding confidence, pain, and breastfeeding continuation up to three months postpartum. The nurses will monitor emotional responses during conversations and can pause or refer to counseling if needed. The total follow-up includes phone assessments and routine care over three months.

Narrative Nursing for Cesarean Mothers' Anxiety and Breastfeeding Confidence