The Effect of Skin-to-skin Contact at Birth

Personal Information Form

The form prepared by the researchers consists of 14 questions about the mothers' socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric characteristics, and newborns.

Breastfeeding Motivation Scale

The Breastfeeding Motivation Scale, based on Self-Determination Theory, was developed by Peleg et al. (2015). It was adapted into Turkish by Şahin et al. in 2017, and a validity and reliability study was conducted. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Turkish version consists of 23 items and five sub-factors for primiparous mothers, and 24 items and six sub-factors for multiparous mothers. According to the calculated Cronbach's alpha value, the Breastfeeding Motivation Scale is a highly reliable scale for both primiparous (Cronbach's alpha: 0.887) and multiparous (Cronbach's alpha: 0.914) mothers. The scale consists of 24 items and 5 sub-dimensions. The items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with each item receiving a score between 1 and 4. The total score of the scale is calculated by averaging the scores of the sub-dimensions. As the score obtained from a subscale increases, it is interpreted as an increase in the motivation represented by that subscale.

VAS

The VAS (Visual Assessment Scale) is one of the most commonly used measurement tools for determining pain intensity. The VAS consists of a line drawn on a horizontal or vertical axis, 10 cm or 100 mm long. At one end of this line is the word "no pain," and at the other end is the word "unbearable pain." The distance from the lowest VAS value to the point marked by the pregnant woman is measured in cm or mm to determine the numerical value of the pain intensity. The evaluation is based on these markings. The VAS is considered a successful measurement tool for evaluating the effectiveness of pain relief methods (Demir, 2012; Carvalho \& Cohen, 2013).

Postnatal Parenting Behavior Scale

The scale was developed by Britton et al. in 2001 to evaluate the behaviors exhibited by parents during their first interactions after birth (Britton et al., 2001). The Turkish adaptation, validity, and reliability study of the scale was conducted by Çalışır et al. (2009) (Çalışır et al., 2009). This scale aims to evaluate the parenting behaviors of the mother or father during their first encounter with their baby immediately after birth through observation. In the six-item scale, the observer records whether the parent exhibits each behavior; behaviors performed are indicated with a "+" sign, and those not performed with a "-" sign. A score of "1" is given for each observed behavior, and a score of "0" for each unobserved behavior. Thus, the total score that can be obtained from the scale ranges from 0 to 6. A high score indicates that the parent exhibits more positive and supportive parenting behaviors towards their baby.