Parents' Needs When Experiencing the Transition to Twin Parenthood.
Maria João Baptista Dos Santos de FreitasIsabel Sofia Maneta TravancaRubén García-FernándezPublished in: Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) (2024)
(1) Background: The transition to twin parenthood is a demanding challenge with a higher risk of maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy and a postpartum period that involves caring for more than one newborn at the same time with similar and simultaneous needs. (2) Aim: To find out about parents' needs when experiencing the transition to twin parenthood and to describe the intervention of their specialized nursing support network. (3) Methodology: A descriptive exploratory study, based on a proper non-probabilistic sample of 15 nurses and 55 couples who are parents of twins, using two online questionnaires publicized on social networks. (4) Results: The couple's needs were identified through knowledge of their experiences and difficulties during pregnancy and after the twin birth. Couples' and nurses' perceptions differed on the identified needs. The specialized nursing support network focuses its intervention on providing informative guidance on twin pregnancy and postpartum period, health education, group sharing experiences, home visits, planning, and including a family support network in the management of twin care and the creation of a daily routine. (5) Conclusions: There is a need to implement a program focused on the needs of parents of twins, promoting realistic expectations for the birth and parenting of twins, preparing parents, improving their well-being, and creating a specialized nursing support network available to this population.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- mental health
- quality improvement
- gestational age
- palliative care
- health information
- randomized controlled trial
- birth weight
- pregnancy outcomes
- social media
- public health
- preterm birth
- physical activity
- clinical practice
- network analysis
- risk factors
- cross sectional
- pregnant women
- climate change
- body mass index
- health insurance
- weight gain
- health promotion