Perception of mothers when visiting their child in the neonatal unit for the first time

Abstract Objective: to identify feelings, experiences and expectations of the mothers during the first visit to the child hospitalized in a Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit of a teaching hospital in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais. Method: qualitative research conducted between November 2016 and April 2017, with 24 mothers during a first visit to their children in the intermediate care unit. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, transcribed and submitted to Content Analysis. Results: from the analysis emerged three thematic categories: feelings that precede the first visit, the experience of the first visit, feelings experienced during the first visit. Conclusion and implications for practice: the participants demonstrated that the first visit to their children can bring positive feelings and negative experiences. Strategies to minimize fears and clarify doubts favor the realization of motherhood.