Mothers and midwives’ experiences with the care of babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Federal Medical Centre, Asaba

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) presents a highly emotional and stressful environment for both mothers and midwives. Understanding their lived experiences is critical to improving family-centered care and staff well-being. This study aimed to explore the experiences, emotional responses, and coping strategies of mothers and midwives involved in NICU care at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. A qualitative design was employed. Data was collected through face-to-face interview with 20 mothers of NICU-admitted neonates and 10 midwives providing direct neonatal care. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis, facilitated by NVivo software. Results revealed eleven themes reflecting emotional, psychological, and operational dimensions of NICU care. These include, overwhelming fear and anxiety, guilt and self-blame, and separation anxiety for mothers. Midwives expressed emotional burnout, grief over infant death, and challenges in high-stress environments. Coping strategies included peer support, faith-based, collegial debriefing and mindfulness practices. In conclusion, this study highlighted the relevance of structured and functional emotional support systems, family-centred approach to care and a boost in NICU staff. The incorporation of these strategies in NICU care could greatly improve the quality of neonatal care, and the well-being of mothers and midwives.