Theoretical contributions to a program of research promoting postpartum health.

There is a need for interventions that address postpartum fatigue and sleep problems. Of the women who experience this, few receive the needed nursing care during the weeks after childbirth when severe postpartum fatigue and poor sleep are most prevalent. These health problems are significant not only for the well-being of the new mother, but for her infant and other family members. This article outlines four steps in applying theory in research, using a "top-down and bottom-up" approach to develop a nursing intervention for self-management of postpartum fatigue and sleep.