Psychological Effects and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy of a Structured Four-Step Narrative Nursing Intervention in Cesarean Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Mixed-Methods Study

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

This study tests whether a nurse-led 4-step narrative nursing program can reduce anxiety and improve breastfeeding confidence in mothers who are having a planned or non-emergency cesarean section. What is the problem? About 30-40% of Chinese cesarean mothers feel high anxiety after surgery, and 1 in 5 is at risk for postpartum depression. Low confidence in breastfeeding is also common. What will we do? We will randomly assign 160 mothers (1:1) to either: Usual care - standard education and ward care, or Usual care plus narrative nursing - four short (10-20 min) conversations with a trained nurse: Before surgery - help the mother talk about her fears. 24-48 h after surgery - encourage her to name pain or worries and separate them from herself. Before discharge - guide her to find positive moments and build a strong-mom story. Two weeks later by phone - strengthen the new story and review feeding success. What will we measure? Main result: anxiety score at 48 h (STAI scale). Other results: depression risk, breastfeeding confidence, pain, and feeding rates up to 3 months. Possible benefits: Lower anxiety, better mood, higher breastfeeding rates. No drugs or extra procedures are involved, only talking. Risks: Minimal; some mothers may feel emotional during conversations, but nurses can pause or refer to counselling if needed.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: Female
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 50
Healthy Volunteers: t
View:

• Women aged 18-50 years

• Scheduled for elective or non-emergency cesarean section at ≥37 weeks

• Able to communicate in Mandarin and provide written informed consent

• Expected hospital stay ≥24 h

• Singleton pregnancy with stable maternal and neonatal condition allowing routine mother-baby contact

Locations
Other Locations
China
Yilong County Maternal and Child Health Hospital
RECRUITING
Nanchong
Contact Information
Primary
X i Huang
24520241154909@stu.xmu.edu.cn
+86-156-8090-6987
Backup
Yinchun Tan
2027687568@qq.com
+86-152-8329-4749
Time Frame
Start Date: 2025-10-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2026-03-01
Participants
Target number of participants: 160
Treatments
No_intervention: Routine perinatal care
Participants receive standard ward education, nursing care, discharge instructions, and routine telephone follow-up without any additional narrative sessions.
Experimental: 4-step narrative nursing
Participants receive usual care plus four nurse-led narrative sessions (pre-op externalization, post-op deconstruction, pre-discharge reconstruction, and 2-week meaning-reconstruction phone call) aimed at reducing anxiety and enhancing breastfeeding confidence.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: Xi Huang
Collaborators: Xiamen University, Yilong People's Hospital

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov