カンガルーケアを実施した母親の早期産体験の癒し

Mothers' Experiences of Healing of Preterm Childbirth with Kangaroo Care

はじめに

　母親は，子どもとの関係に導かれながら母性らしさ（maternal identity）を形成する^17）。しかし，母親となる準備を中断された早期産の母親は，喪失感と罪悪感があり^8,9），子どもとの関係形成に課題を抱えている。

　これらを改善するため，タッチ，抱っこなどの早期接触介入が勧められているが，正期産の母親と比較し，早期産の母親は子どもとの相互作用がとりずらく^21），子どもを脆くとらえ^15），その関わりは過保護^12）な傾向がある。早期接触介入の1つとしてのカンガルーケア（skin to skin care）は，母親と子どもとの関係が早期から形成されていることが注目されている。

　The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe the experience of healing of preterm childbirth with Kangaroo care (skin to skin care). Grounded Theory Approach was chosen for the research design and analysis, twenty five subjects were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide.

　The core category that emerged from the data was “search for being as a mother” to reflect the mothers' experiences as laborious, active and connected to their preterm infants. The process of healing consisted of three categories: “capture of hardness”; “face to reality”; “self-confident being as a mother.”

　After preterm childbirth the mother dealt with “capture of hardness” which was experiencing emotional pain that was pervasive and often intense, consisted of three subcategories: a sense of being guilty; uncertainty; and loss of self-confident. Caring for preterm infant with Kangaroo care the mother dealt with “face to reality”, consisted of two subcategories: reconciliation of experiences of their preterm childbirth; and having a hope for the future. Finally the mother dealt with “self-confident being as a mother”, consisted of four subcategories: transpersonal with their preterm infant; support from other people; reconsideration of experiences; self-confident.

　The result indicated that the mothers' experiences of healing of preterm childbirth with Kangaroo care is that they had connected their present experiences to the existing preterm infants and allowed themselves to appreciate the impact of the preterm childbirth on their lives and they were self-confident being as a mother.