Final answer:
To encourage bonding behaviors after birth, a nurse should facilitate skin-to-skin contact, support parents in recognizing and responding to the baby's reflexes, encourage early breastfeeding, and educate about responding to the newborn's cries to form a secure attachment.
Step-by-step explanation:
To help parents proceed with bonding behaviors immediately after birth, a nurse can engage in several supportive actions. Facilitating skin-to-skin contact between the baby and parents, known as kangaroo care, promotes bonding by utilizing the newborn's well-developed sense of touch. Encouraging the parents to gently touch, stroke, and hold the baby can be calming and strengthen the emotional connection. Moreover, the nurse can assist in recognizing and responding to the infant's reflexes, such as the rooting and sucking reflexes, which are essential for feeding and bonding.
Since newborns have a strong sense of smell and can distinguish the scent of their own mother, the nurse should encourage breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth. This not only facilitates bonding but also assists in establishing the mother's milk supply. Lastly, educating parents about the importance of responding to the newborn's cries, which is a way for infants to communicate their needs, will help in forming a secure attachment.
Overall, the nurse should focus on creating an environment conducive to bonding by minimizing separations, supporting the parents in recognizing and responding to their baby's cues, and providing guidance on care and feeding techniques.