Abstract
Objective:
to identify feelings, experiences and expectations of the mothers during the first visit to the child hospitalized in a Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit of a teaching hospital in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais.
Method:
qualitative research conducted between November 2016 and April 2017, with 24 mothers during a first visit to their children in the intermediate care unit. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, transcribed and submitted to Content Analysis.
Results:
from the analysis emerged three thematic categories: feelings that precede the first visit, the experience of the first visit, feelings experienced during the first visit.
Conclusion and implications for practice:
the participants demonstrated that the first visit to their children can bring positive feelings and negative experiences. Strategies to minimize fears and clarify doubts favor the realization of motherhood.
Keywords:
Infant, newborn; Nurseries; Mother-Child Relations; Emotions