Determining the effect of birth mode on mother and baby attachment

The research was conducted cross-sectionally and descriptively in order to determine the effect of mothers' mode of birth on attachment. The target population of the study is sample of a total of 500 mothers, 250 of whom gave vaginal births and 250 of them giving caesarean births, who were selected by simple random sampling method from among the newly-delivering-mothers who were hospitalized in Gaziantep Sehitkamil State Hospital, obstetrics and gynecology department. As a data collection tool, the "Postpartum Attachment Scale (PAS)" (Cronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficient 0.75) was used in addition to the questionnaire form. The questionnaire form includes questions about the socio-demographic characteristics of mothers and characteristics which are thought to affect mother and baby attachment. The questionnaire form and the PAS were applied between May 15 and July 15, 2022. The data obtained from the research were evaluated using the SPSS (ver:23.0) computer program; reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, Chi-Square Analysis, t test in independent groups and ANOVA Variance analysis test. It has been determined that the difference between the average DSBÖ score and the age of mothers, income status, number of children, the emotional state she experienced when she learned her pregnancy, the state of interest during pregnancy from her environment, the thought of terminating pregnancy, the state of receiving professional support during pregnancy, the state of skin-to-skin contact with the baby after childbirth is statistically significant (p < 0.05). According to the results of the t-test analysis, it was found that there is a significant difference between postpartum attachment levels according to the mode of birth, and the postpartum mother-baby attachment level is higher for women who have vaginal birth (p < 0.05). As a result, it was found that the attachment levels of mothers who gave vaginal birth to their babies were higher than those of mothers who had caesarean birth, and mothers who gave vaginal birth did not have postpartum attachment problems. It is recommended to strengthen the functional status of the mother, to provide supportive trainings and to provide individual-specific counseling for the healthy start of the postpartum attachment process of mothers who gave birth by cesarean.