Table 1

Coding scheme for a category under the theme ‘stressors’

Category	Subcategory	Code	M	F	GP
Uncertainties due to information gap Participants did not know or understand aspects related to sepsis or its hospitalisation, which led to uncertainties.	Unfamiliar disease	What has happened to baby	x	x	x
		Reason for infection unknown	x	x	x
		Why my baby	x		x
		Why sudden admission	x	x	x
		Chances of survival unknown	x	x	x
		Discharge date unknown	x	x	x
		Why breast milk not given		x
		If treatment is working		x
		False assurance	x	x	x
		Scary terminologies	x	x
		Will baby be disabled	x	x	x
		Why so many doctors around the baby	x		x
	Sudden deterioration in baby’s condition	Sudden vomiting	x	x	x
	Sudden deterioration in baby’s condition	Vomiting milk since morning	x	x
		Weight loss	x	x	x
		Stopped drinking milk today	x	x	x
		Sudden stomach swelling	x	x	x
		Stomach swelling worse today	x
		Suddenly requires breathing support	x	x	x
		Requires ventilator today	x	x
		Not active today	x	x	x
		Suddenly drowsy		x	x
		Suddenly seems limp		x	x
		Sudden shaking of hands	x	x
	Cost-related	Cost estimate unknown		x	x
		No transparency in cost increase		x	x
		Reason for stalled financial scheme unknown		x	x
		‘Who to ask for money?’		x	x
		Unsure on financial scheme—availability	x	x	x
		Unsure on financial scheme—use	x	x	x
Financial constraints ‘Relates to participant’s struggles in arranging money to pay for medical and non-medical costs related to baby’s hospitalisation’	Inaccessible financial support	Baby not named		x	x
	Inaccessible financial support	Insurance applies to either mother or baby	x	x	x
		Inadequate information		x	x
		Contrasting information		x	x
		Stalled schemes		x	x
	Lack of adequate resources	Limited or no savings		x	x
		No income		x
Barriers to bonding Pertains to barriers that hindered participant–baby bonding		Inaccessible visiting hours		x	x
		Postpartum movement restrictions	x	x	x
		Mother unwell	x	x	x
		Mother in a different hospital		x	x
Unfamiliar NICU environment Pertains to first-time experience with sights and sounds in NICU and the hospitalised baby		Tubes and pricks—baby	x		x
		Oxygen mask	x		x
		Beeping sounds	x		x
		Machine/incubator	x	x	x
		Inadequate breast milk	x		x
		Sick baby	x	x	x
		Baby in ventilator/machine	x	x	x
		Pumping breast milk	x	x	x
		Baby’s distress	x	x	x
Spouse/parent health Pertains to participants’ stress regarding their spouse’s health (father/mother) or parent’s health (grandparent)	Physical	Insomnia		x	x
		Disturbed sleep	x	x	x
		Insufficient sleep	x	x	x
		Gastritis		x
		Chest pain		x
		Back pain	x		x
		Leg pain	x
		Weakness	x
		Dizziness	x
		Fatigue	x	x
		Not eating			x
	Emotional	Stressed	x	x	x
		Crying	x	x	x
		Not talking			x
Mute spectator in distress Pertains to participants’ inability to		Reduce baby’s pain	x		x
		Empathise with pain	x	x	x

F, father; GP, grandparent; M, mother; NICU, neonatal intensive care unit.