Background Intact cord resuscitation in the frst three minutes of life improves oxygenation and Apgar scores. Thepractise of intact cord resuscitation implies the umbilical cord still being connected to the placenta for at least oneminute while providing temperature control and equipment for resuscitation. Healthcare professionals describedpractical challenges in providing intact cord resuscitation. This study aimed to explore neonatal healthcare profession‑als’ experiences of providing intact cord resuscitation in the mother’s bed.

Method An interview study with an inductive, interpretative approach was chosen and analysed according to refex‑ive thematic analysis by Braun & Clarke. An open interview guide was used and 20 individual interviews with neonatalhealthcare professionals were performed. The study was conducted at fve level I-III neonatal care units. In Sweden,resuscitation is performed either in or outside the labour room.

Results The results contributed insight into the participants’ experiences of prerequisites for providing neonatal carein intact cord resuscitation. The sense of the mother’s vulnerability was noticeable, as the participants reported reduc‑ing the risk of exposure to protect and preserve the mother’s integrity. The practical challenges in the environmentinvolved working in a limited space. The desire for multi-professional team training comprised education and trainingas well as debriefng to manage intact cord resuscitation.

Conclusion The result of the present study highlights the fact that neonatal healthcare professionals’ experiencesof providing ICR in the mother’s bed were positive and had signifcant benefts for the neonate, namely zero sepa‑ration between the neonate and parents and better physical recovery for the neonate. However, the fact that ICRin the mother’s bed can be challenging in several ways, such as emotionally, managing environmental circumstancesand ensuring efective team collaboration. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that healthcare professionals aregiven the opportunity to refect and train together as a team. Future recommendations are to summarize evidencebased knowledge to design guidelines for ICR situation.