Maternal Readiness for Newborn Self-Care in the Early Postpartum Period: Associations with Maternal Psychophysical State and Declared Breastfeeding Readiness

Objectives: To assess maternal readiness for newborn self-care and its associations with breastfeeding readiness and psychophysical condition in early postpartum rooming-in care. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 200 women at 48–72 h postpartum. Maternal readiness was assessed with three 0–10 self-report scales: daytime newborn care, nighttime newborn care, and breastfeeding readiness. Psychometric, pain, anxiety, obstetric, haemoglobin, and haematocrit data were analysed using stepwise ordinal regression with bootstrap sensitivity analyses. Results: Breastfeeding readiness was the strongest correlate of daytime and nighttime caregiving readiness, with a marked and partially non-linear gradient (OR ≈ 13 for linear trend, p < 0.001). Higher anxiety on day 2 was associated with lower readiness across all domains (daytime care: OR = 0.61; nighttime care: OR = 0.69; breastfeeding: OR = 0.73; all p < 0.001). Daytime readiness was associated with sleep disturbance (lower readiness; OR = 0.63, p = 0.006) and goal-directed behaviour despite low mood (higher readiness; OR = 1.47, p < 0.001). Nighttime readiness correlated with concentration under emotional strain (OR = 1.63, p < 0.001) and was reduced in women reporting suicidal ideation (OR = 0.24, p = 0.012). Breastfeeding readiness was associated with greater current engagement in breastfeeding (OR = 1.90, p < 0.001) and higher parity (OR = 2.46, p = 0.002), while sleep disturbance was associated with lower readiness (OR = 0.69, p = 0.013). Somatic factors and social support were not independent predictors, while psychological variables showed stronger associations with readiness. Conclusions: Maternal readiness for newborn self-care is related to breastfeeding readiness but remains a distinct, psychologically shaped construct. These findings question the assumption that breastfeeding readiness reflects readiness for continuous newborn care. Assessment of maternal readiness may help identify support needs and guide flexible postpartum care.