Aim: This study was conducted to examine the effects of breathing exercises on maternal anxiety, well-being, and infant stress.

Materials and Methods: The research was initiated in a hospital in eastern Turkey between November 2024 and November 2026, after obtaining ethical committee and institutional approvals. The study population consisted of mothers whose babies were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of that hospital.The generally available G*Power 3.1.9.7 for Windows software was used to calculate the sample size. Similar literature studies were referenced when determining the sample size of the research (Shamsdanesh et al., 2023). Furthermore, after the research is completed, a post-hoc power analysis will be performed on the main dependent variable, maternal anxiety level (MAL), to determine the power of the study (approximately 35 experimental, 35 control). The aim of the research is to ensure that the resulting sample size has sufficient statistical power to reveal the effect being examined. The research data is collected using a Demographic Information Form, prepared by the researcher through a literature review, the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Psychological Well-being Scale, and the Neonatal Stress Scale. Mothers perform this exercise three times a day for two days (days 1 and 2), under the supervision of a researcher. The four-square breathing exercise is a non-pharmacological pain reliever that has been shown to be beneficial in conditions other than pain. Each breathing exercise lasts 5-10 minutes. Mothers in the experimental group are given a questionnaire before the start of the study and after the exercise on days 1 and 2. Mothers in the control group are given only a questionnaire before the start of the study, at the end of day 1, and at the end of day 2. Mothers in the control group do not perform the four-square breathing exercise and receive routine hospital care. At the end of both days, mothers in the control group who wish to practice the breathing exercise are given the opportunity to do so.

This randomized controlled clinical trial evaluates the therapeutic impact of pre-breastfeeding breathing exercises on maternal psychological parameters and associated neonatal stress indicators within a specialized hospital framework in eastern Turkey. Initiated in November 2024 following comprehensive ethical and administrative authorizations, the methodology focuses on a cohort of mothers navigating the stressors of having an infant hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). While standard institutional protocols in this setting deliver essential guidance regarding newborn care, lactation management, expression techniques, and sanitary protocols, this study introduces a targeted behavioral intervention to potentially mitigate the adverse psychological disruptions inherent in the NICU experience.Methodologically, potential participants are screened sequentially based on predetermined eligibility parameters, and those consenting to participate are allocated into parallel groups. To ensure strict numerical equilibrium and eliminate selection bias, a baseline 1:1 randomization matrix is generated, with group designations blinded through a double-blind drawing of lots where numerical codes represent either the interventional breathing exercise cohort or the standard care control cohort. The active intervention focuses on structured breathing protocols executed prior to breastfeeding sessions, aiming to stabilize maternal autonomic responses.The longitudinal assessment framework utilizes a series of psychometric and observational instruments to track the data points. Maternal immediate and baseline emotional states, psychological resilience, and adaptive coping mechanisms are evaluated through validated psychometric inventories that quantify fluctuating anxiety dimensions and functional psychological well-being. Concurrently, the physiological and behavioral stress manifestations of the hospitalized infants are monitored through structured neonatal assessment matrices. These scales systematically evaluate multi-dimensional neonatal indicators, including neuromuscular responses, respiratory patterns, and physical expressions, across independent observers to ensure inter-rater reliability. Data tracking is managed continuously, with provisions to account for confounding variables such as premature infant discharge or incomplete clinical datasets, thereby maintaining the integrity of the final statistical evaluations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ability to communicate verbally,
• Being 18 years of age or older,
• Having a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit,
• Breastfeeding.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having a psychiatric diagnosis according to medical records,
• The mother having a definite health problem in the postpartum period that prevents breastfeeding (heart disease, etc.),
• The study being terminated due to the newborn being discharged from the hospital,
• Incomplete data collection.

Mothers whose babies are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit