Which statement best describes the nurse's role in supporting the taking-in stage and early attachment?

• A. Provide rest, meet mother's needs, and facilitate early responsiveness to the infant.
• B. Ignore mother's fatigue.
• C. Focus solely on teaching infant bathing.
• D. Suggest the mother leave the infant with staff.

Answer: (A)

Taking-in and early attachment focus on the mother’s immediate needs after birth and beginning the bond with her baby. The nurse supports this by ensuring the mother gets rest, meets her basic needs, and helps her respond to her newborn. Rest and proper nourishment help the mother recover, regulate hormones, and have the energy to care for and feed the infant. Facilitating early responsiveness means encouraging the mother to engage with the baby—making eye contact, talking softly, using gentle touch, and practicing skin-to-skin contact—so the infant’s cues are acknowledged and bonding begins. This supportive, responsive contact lays the foundation for secure attachment. Ignoring the mother’s fatigue, concentrating only on tasks like bathing, or suggesting the mother leave the infant with staff would hinder bonding and the mother’s confidence in caring for her baby.