educational status, health insurance, monthly total income amount, parity and prepartum care) that may be affecting the
results of the research and intervention group and control group were made using simple random sampling method
according to each characteristic. Through this method, 200 numbers were determined using random numbers table.
Seventy women were assigned to intervention group and 70 women to control group out of 200 numbers where women’s
file numbers were registered by using simple random sampling.
2.1.2 Measures
Descriptive Data Collection Form about Mothers’ Characteristics designed after a literature survey [8-10] and a consultation
with an expert, Assessment Form of Early Postpartum Period, Problem Survey Form for the problems experienced at
home during 6-week postpartum period were used in this research. Also, a booklet that included trainings and care plans
for women was designed in order that home care services could be performed. The data collection forms,
training-handbook and care plan were designed by the researcher after the literature had been reviewed and the expert
opinion had been obtained. Before using these materials in the research, they were administered to 20 women who had
delivery by caesarean section at Çorum Birth and Child Care Hospital and their comprehensibility and content validity
were tested and were reviewed and finalized.
2.2 Analytic strategy
The data were collected at two phases: the first phase was conducted at the hospital after cesarean delivery and the second
phase was conducted with 3 home visits after discharge. Home visits were made by the researcher intervention and control
group on the 2nd postpartum day, 15th postpartum day and 42nd postpartum day. Appointments were made before each
home visit both for women of intervention group and control group. Also, we phoned the women in order to fix the visit
day and hour. Visits lasted approximately 1-1.5 hours for the intervention group and 30-45 minutes for the control group.
The procedure below was followed for the data collection:
2.2.1 First phase (Hospital follow-up)
The researcher first met mothers of intervention group when they came in the post partum service of Birth and Child Care
Hospital (before cesarean delivery) and gave information about the research and obtained their oral consents. The
researcher first met mothers of control group after their cesarean delivery at the intensive care unit of post partum service
and gave information about the research and obtained their oral consents. Following the oral consents, the researcher
administered Descriptive Data Collection Form about Mothers’ Characteristics, Assessment Form of Early Postpartum
Period and appointments were made for home visits. Researcher made the second interview with the mothers of
intervention group after cesarean delivery at post partum service. The researcher conducted medical examination and
follow-ups of these women before discharge during this interview at the post partum service.
2.2.2 Second phase (Home follow-up)
The researcher performed the first follow-up of the mothers of both intervention group and control group within the 24
hours after discharge (on the second day after birth); the second follow-up on the 15th day after birth and the third
follow-up on the 42nd day after birth according to the previously fixed appointment time. The researcher first gave
training to the mothers of intervention group according to the training-booklet. Then, the researcher intervened in
accordance with the Form of Nursing Care Plan of Mothers and determined the problems experienced by the mothers at
home during postpartum period according to Problem Survey Form for the problems experienced at home during 6-week
postpartum period. The researcher did not perform any nursing intervention at all for the mothers of control group during
the visits. The researcher only administered the Problem Survey Form for the problems experienced at home during
6-week postpartum period in order to explore the problems experienced by mothers at home during postpartum period.
2.3 Analysis of the data
Independent variables of the research were nursing interventions (care, trainings, and consultancy) performed during the
home visits and dependent variables of the research were postpartum maternal problems, going to the health centers and