Introduction:

The arrival of a child is a remarkable moment, especially in the lives of women, who experience great changes in their body and mind during the gestational period, in turn surrounded by expectations about the baby.

Objective:

To understand the experiences and perceptions of mothers concerning motherhood and baby care in the first days of life.

Methods:

Descriptive study, with qualitative approach, carried out through interviews, with thirteen mothers attended by the infant care groups of a basic health unit in southern Brazil, between July and August 2019. The statements were recorded, transcribed and submitted to content analysis, under the thematic modality.

Results:

Feelings of fear and insecurity were noted to be present in the daily life of the interviewees, thus interfering in baby care. Social support networks were identified as very important factors in the puerperium. Prematurity, breastfeeding difficulties and lack of help are issues that generated frustration in mothers, while prenatal and infant care were considered as facilitating aspects of care.

Conclusion:

Although mothers are oriented during prenatal care on issues related to the newborn, many still have difficulties in caring for their child; such difficulties are aggravated by the lack of adequate assistance.

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