Paper Example on Attachment Between the Mom and the Newborn

How the attachment between the mom and the newborn, at the point of birth, could be impacted by the husbands treatment for cancer

At the point of birth, there needs to be a strong connection between the mother and the newborn as this creates a good mother-child bond relationship that is essential for the growth of the child (Kaakinen et al., 2014). But in a case where the husband is sick and is under treatment for cancer, the mom has to be afraid about the health condition of her husband because cancer is deadly and it requires so much attention while dealing with it as a precautionary measure (Adams et al., 2014). The same attention required in taking care of a husband under cancer treatment is the same attention needed by a newborn in enhancing the latter relationship. This, therefore, means that the attachment between the mom and the newborn will be interfered with regards to the concern and attention kept at treating and taking care of the husband by the mom. The newborn will also require the care of the father as a way of upbringing which at that moment will not be available because of the treatment the dad is undergoing.

How I would maximize the attachment between a mom and the newborn when I know that an immediate family member has a life-threatening disease

To maximize on the attachment between a mom and the newborn when I know that an immediate member of the family has a life-threatening disease, I would devise a balanced approach that involves taking care of both family members equally; giving the two victims involved equal attention that they deserve. Ensuring that the newborn gets to see his/her mother when he/she needs to see her will be a primal way of ensuring that the newborn has a close and strong attachment. As one would say, the family member, in this case, is a grown old man who understands why it is important to take care of the newborn; so, even if it means calling for a friend or another relative of the family to take care of the family member suffering from the life-threatening disease, it will also be a better option of nursing (Kaakinen et al., 2014). While having another relative or friend taking care of the family member in the hospital, it will be good to maintain a close and regular communication and checkup on the patient (Ellington et al., 2012: Lindberg et al., 2013).

How the attachment between the mom and the newborn could be impacted by the history of the mother, having given birth to an infant (who is now a teenager) with cerebral palsy

Nothing worries a mother more than the case where she is uncertain and worried about how her newborn will come out as. The nervousness can always be seen from afar, from the moment when they start their pre-natal treatments to the point of birth. It is always relieving for a mother to have a normal baby after or without having had one with a mental condition such as cerebral palsy. Therefore, the worry of the mother who has given birth to an infant (who is now a teenager) with cerebral palsy will be so intense on her clouding all her judgments with all the possibilities that may exist. The mom will be forced to do so many things that she might not be expected of doing. The too much worry can send her to the wrong places and give her a wrong impression leading to high cases of depression which will also have an impact on the newborn. The mother will start changing the way in which she operates and does things with the belief that the condition of her previous child was because of her fault as the mother of the infant.

References

Adams, J. A., Anderson, R. A., Docherty, S. L., Tulsky, J. A., Steinhauser, K. E., & Bailey, D. E. (2014). Nursing strategies to support family members of ICU patients at high risk of dying. Heart & Lung: The Journal of Acute and Critical Care, 43(5), 406-415.

Ellington, L., Reblin, M., Clayton, M. F., Berry, P., & Mooney, K. (2012). Hospice nurse communication with patients with cancer and their family caregivers. Journal of palliative medicine, 15(3), 262-268.Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., Tabacco, A., & Hanson, S. M. H. (2014). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis.

Lindberg, B., Nilsson, C., Zotterman, D., Soderberg, S., & Skar, L. (2013). Using information and communication technology in home care for communication between patients, family members, and healthcare professionals: a systematic review. International journal of telemedicine and applications, 2013.