First-time parents: acquisition of parenting skills

Objective: Discover the parents' nursing care needs after the birth of their first healthy child during the first 48 hours after normal delivery. Methods: Qualitative and exploratory study in which 26 parents participated (13 fathers and 13 mothers). As a data collection strategy, semistructured interviews were used. Content analysis was applied to the answers, following Bardin's premises. Results: The parental figures identified care needs related to breastfeeding, the infant's bath, the umbilical stump and cramps. Conclusion: Mothers and fathers expect interventions from the nurses that allow them to feel capable of taking care of their infants safe and self-confidently.