The relationship between the levels of mother in postpartum period - spouse attachment and mother in postpartum period - infant attachment

The research was carried out in a cross-sectional and descriptive manner in order to determine the relationship between the mothers in postpartum period and their spouses and their babies. The sample of the study consisted of 150 mothers with a 1- 4 month-old baby in Cengiz Gökçek Obstetrics-Gynecology and Children's Hospital, Gaziantep. In collecting data, Mothers' descriptive form which is created by the researcher, Maternal Attachment Scale (MAS), and Inventory of Experiences in Close Relationships II (IECR II) were used. Data were obtained from face to face interviews with mothers who agreed to take part in the study between 06 October 2016 and 03 January 2017. In the analysis of the data; number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, significance test of difference between the two means (independent t test), one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Levene test, multiple comparison test (Bonferonni or Tamhane's T2) were used. As a result, no statistically significant relationship was found between between the mothers in postpartum period and their spouses and their babies. There was no statistically significant relationship between Maternal Attachment Scale and Inventory of Experiences in Close Relationships II (p> 0.05). It was determined that mothers' ages, education levels, duration of marriage, number of births and children and the delivery methods affect the mother-infant attachment. It can be suggested that nurses and midwives should consider family as a whole in home and hospitals visits, determine maternal attachment in mothers and determine factors that negatively affect them, and make necessary attempts in this regard. Key words: Attachment, Attachment between spouses, Maternal attachment, Postpartum period, Nursing.