First day in the maternity hospital with the baby. What a young mother needs to remember in the first days after returning home from the hospital
The first days at home - probably every woman after the birth of her baby dreams of being home as quickly as possible and counts the days until she is discharged from the maternity hospital. These feelings are absolutely understandable. We are waiting at home for my husband and loved ones who want to meet the new little family member. In addition, a warm bath, a dressing gown, your favorite tea and long-awaited relaxation await you at home.
Introduction
However, now you can only dream about relaxing at home, because along with the baby will come many new tasks and responsibilities.
In addition to daily cleaning, cooking and laundry, caring for a child will be added to the list of daily tasks, which will take all your energy and time. But what to do if, in addition to the small family member, there are also older children? You'll have to do everything. It is for this reason that the expectant mother, after arriving from the maternity hospital, should adjust the environment to suit herself and try to rest as much as possible.
If the woman and baby are in good health, she will be discharged on the fourth day after birth. By her arrival, her loved ones will probably have done a general cleaning, arranged the room where the baby will live, installed a crib and changing table, prepared a place for the stroller, and, of course, decorated the apartment for the arrival of the newborn.
Usually in the first days at home, mothers begin to panic, especially if it is their first child. They are tormented by questions about how to properly care for the baby, how to feed him and help him in case of colic, and, of course, how to plan their time, which is now completely lacking. Lack of experience in raising a child is not a big deal. In this article, we will talk about what a woman needs to do so that the first days at home are joyful and happy, and are not overshadowed by vanity and fears.
Before discharge
You should think about your arrival home a few days before discharge. It is necessary to make a list of purchases and things that the husband or relatives must do before the arrival of mommy and baby. If a woman believes that her significant other can handle everything on her own, then she is deeply mistaken.
After all, only she knows that she needs special foods and drinks to enhance lactation and restore the body after childbirth, and the child needs a wet cleaning of the room and a lot of caring accessories before arrival.
Here it should be taken into account that even the most attentive and caring man will joyfully forget or confuse all the instructions given to him by his wife. Therefore, making a to-do list is the best option.
After discharge - first days at home
A woman’s first desire after returning home from the maternity hospital is to lie down and just rest for a few days so that no one will disturb her. However, all this will remain only in dreams. Of course, you need to sleep, and this must be done not only at night, but also during the day, while the child is sleeping.
But there are still some things that should be addressed urgently:
First of all, you should call the children's clinic and report the newborn . The baby should be assigned a visiting nurse who will visit him and monitor his health. A doctor may come to the first visit, examine the baby and give the mother a number of tips on caring for him. She needs to prepare a notebook in advance to write it all down and put it into practice later.
It is also necessary to redistribute your responsibilities several days in advance in order to be able to rest in the first few days after discharge. For now, you can entrust cooking and cleaning to your mother or mother-in-law. Let your husband take charge of going to the store and purchasing groceries. Let them spend these few days fulfilling the duties of the housewife, while she comes to her senses a little, recovers and devotes time to the newborn.
It is very important to establish breastfeeding
In order for milk to always be and constantly arrive, a woman must eat properly and well. She should drink a lot, not be nervous, rest and learn how to breastfeed her baby correctly. From your diet you need to completely exclude foods that can become allergens for your child. If your baby does not have enough nutrition, you need to drink more tea with milk, rest more often and not worry about it. There is no need to wash the mammary glands before each feeding; taking a shower or bath once a day is enough. The baby should be fed in a position that is comfortable for the woman.
To prevent breastfeeding from causing problems and unnecessary hassle, you should follow a number of important rules . To begin with, you don't need to express milk. This procedure should only be used in emergency cases. For example, if you need to leave home for several hours and leave the child with the father or grandmother, or if there is stagnation of milk that the child cannot dissolve. You also need to learn how to put your baby to the breast, making sure that he latches onto the nipple correctly. This way you can avoid the appearance of painful cracks on it. And the last rule is to alternately feed the baby first with one breast and then with the other. That is, at one feeding, if the baby has enough milk, he needs to be given only one breast, and at the next - the second.
Creating the necessary microclimate for the baby
On the first day of discharge from the maternity hospital, a woman should limit visitors and those wishing to congratulate her . A large number of unfamiliar faces will only increase the stress of a newborn, who is just beginning to adapt to his environment.
Pediatricians also do not recommend walking outside in the first few days. in order to protect the baby from illnesses. Since the child’s immunity is still very weak, he can easily get sick. To avoid overheating, the baby should be dressed in cotton clothing, which should be only one layer warmer than that of adults.
You need to prepare the nursery for the child in advance . Before the baby arrives from the hospital, it needs to be ventilated and wet cleaned. These procedures will now need to be carried out daily. The baby should be bathed every day in a special baby bath. Bathing soap should only be used once a week. After taking water procedures, the umbilical wound should be wiped dry and treated with an antiseptic, which was recommended by the doctor at the maternity hospital. This could be hydrogen peroxide, brilliant green, betadine or ioddicerin. Some people recommend regular boiled water, but it will not give the desired effect, so it is completely unsuitable for treating the navel.
What should your baby wear when he is at home?
Usually, after discharge, babies are swaddled. Since in the first few weeks children have little control over their body and have difficulty falling asleep for this reason, swaddling becomes the best way out. You need to wrap the baby in a diaper so that he feels free; tight swaddling is harmful. When the child is awake, he can be dressed in vests and rompers. The cap should be put on only after taking water procedures; the rest of the time you are in the house, it is not needed.
Before putting a diaper on your child, you should check for allergies. . Often these hygiene items are absolutely safe for children’s delicate skin if they are changed in a timely manner. Diapers are also an ideal option for going outside. Having put it on, mommy can be sure that the baby will feel dry and comfortable. It is better not to use reusable hygiene products, as they most often cause allergies and irritation.
Space in a child's room should be planned wisely . A locker with clothes and accessories should be placed next to the changing table so as not to waste extra time walking around the room. Since babies defecate about twenty times a day, after each feeding you should be prepared to change the diaper or diaper. Therefore, you need to stock up on the required amount of these accessories in advance.
After each bowel movement, the baby’s genitals must be wiped with special wet baby wipes or washed in warm water, treated with powder, and only then put on a diaper. Thus, it will be possible to avoid the appearance of diaper rash and irritation that can occur from using a diaper and improper care of the baby’s delicate skin.
Creating the right atmosphere in the nursery
The environment in the nursery should be thought out in advance and created long before the mother is sent to the maternity hospital. It is best if both parents prepare the room for the baby. Together they will be able to quickly select the overall interior composition, as well as choose the wallpaper color and design. The room should be sunny and cool, but upon the baby’s arrival, it will be necessary to create a special microclimate there, maintaining the temperature at 22 degrees and the humidity at 60%.
When drawing up a plan for a nursery, it is necessary to take into account a number of important factors. The first thing you should pay attention to is the curtains. They should be airy and easy to wash. Rough and airtight fabric will become a dust collector and can lead to the development of allergies in a child.
Minimalism should reign in the room. Furniture will include a changing table, a wardrobe and a crib. This way, mommy will be able to make daily wet cleaning easier and make room for other furniture that will be needed when the baby grows a little. Also, there should be no carpets or flowering indoor plants in the room, which can also become allergens.
The baby's bed should be located away from the window. There is no need to place canopies made of heavy fabric on it, as they will collect dust. For this purpose, it is better to use a transparent organza cape. A hard, hypoallergenic, orthopedic mattress must be placed in the crib. A child at this age does not need a pillow. Bed linen should be chosen from natural, undyed fabrics that are easy to wash and do not fade.
Wardrobe for baby
You need to think about clothes for your baby, just like the furnishings in the room, in advance. Clothing made from rough fabrics with fasteners and zippers should be discarded immediately. In addition, you need to carefully examine the seams, which should be soft, and better if they are located on the outside of the clothing. Nowadays it’s not difficult to choose a wardrobe for your baby, since the range is truly huge.
Mommy should always watch how the baby is dressed. She should dress the child so that he is wearing one more layer of clothing than she is wearing. You can check if your baby is cold or hot by placing your hand on the back of his head. If the occipital region is cold, then the baby is freezing, and if it is hot and sweaty, then he is hot and needs to be undressed.
The first days at home and mommy’s hygiene
In the hassle of caring for a child, a woman should not forget about herself. She gave birth to her baby just a few days ago, and she may have stitches that need to be taken care of. Mommy should change bedding and underwear, as well as home clothes, as often as possible. The seams must be carefully monitored. They should be dry, clean and not inflamed. They should be washed daily and treated with an antiseptic, and when they have lived a little, a special cream must be applied to them to accelerate regeneration and avoid the appearance of scars.
You should buy a special bra for nursing mothers with wide shoulders. It will prevent stretch marks and sagging breasts, and will also prevent them from losing their shape. If a woman has stitches placed on her perineum, she is not allowed to sit for two weeks after giving birth, as they may come apart, so the baby will need to be fed while lying down. It is forbidden to take a bath for now; for the next few weeks you should only take a shower.
What's going on
Over the course of one and a half months, the mother’s uterus will actively cleanse itself and secrete lochia, which will become less colored and intense every day. After the postpartum discharge stops completely, you need to go to an appointment with your gynecologist. He will examine the cervix, which most likely suffered during childbirth, and will also recommend contraceptives in case the woman does not plan to become a mother again.
In the first days at home after discharge, almost all mothers feel emotionally exhausted, unsure of themselves and their abilities, and very confused. These feelings will pass over time, there is no need to escalate the situation and pay attention to mistakes; it is better to ask your mother or mother-in-law for advice on caring for the baby.
You can also ask for help from a visiting nurse, who will visit the baby, monitoring his health and development. She can give mommy advice on establishing lactation, proper feeding, bathing and swaddling of the baby. You can ask her any questions about the child and she will definitely help both practically and give theoretical advice.
First days at home: Women's nutrition
While the mother is breastfeeding, she should give preference to cereals, vegetables and lean, steamed meat. It's better not to drink coffee yet. The same applies to carbonated drinks, as well as products that promote gas formation.
Fresh fruits and juices should be introduced into the menu gradually. It is better to consume green fruits, since they are the least likely to provoke allergic reactions.
What parents worry about
Very often, young parents begin to panic due to the usual changes that occur with the baby after discharge from the hospital. This happens when they have no one to ask for advice.
Here are a few situations that should not cause concern:
Elevated temperatures . The thermoregulatory functions of the child's body are formed gradually. Therefore, if a mother notices that after feeding the baby’s temperature rises to 38 degrees, she should not panic. This phenomenon occurs due to the fact that the child tried very hard to get milk and therefore his temperature rose. Once he calms down, everything will go back to normal. However, if your child has a runny nose or cough, you should immediately consult a doctor, as most likely he has a cold.
Flaky skin . In the first few weeks after birth, the child’s body gets used to the environment, which also applies to its skin. They may turn red and begin to peel. In this case, you should not use potassium permanganate and herbal infusions; just ask your pediatrician what moisturizer the child needs and the problem will be solved by itself.
In order not to panic when changes appear in the child’s body, you can find out about them in advance from the doctor or ask the visiting nurse during one of her visits.
Three important things after leaving the hospital
And the last thing that is important to do after discharge from the hospital is:
- Register a new family member at the registry office;
- Register the baby in an apartment or house;
- Arrange maternity payments.
To register the baby, parents are given three months, and the mother has six months to arrange maternity leave. To reduce the time it takes to complete documents, you need to collect all the paperwork necessary for these procedures even before the birth. Malsha can be registered by any of his parents without the consent and knowledge of the persons living in the apartment.
Conclusion
As you can see, after being discharged from the maternity hospital, you will still have to face difficulties, but if you prepare for them in advance, then the first days at home in your new role will pass easily and without any problems.
And as soon as worries, worries and weakness recede, you can move on to doing your usual household chores, remembering the first days with your baby as the happiest and most tremulous in the life of a new mother.
When a new person is born, another star lights up in the sky. Is this really true or is this another beautiful legend? But be that as it may, a new sun appears in the house, and all the home planets will revolve around the baby until he grows up: mom, dad, both grandmothers, both grandfathers, and all other relatives.
Most often, preparations are made in advance for the arrival of a tiny newborn in the home. And if they most often do not rush to buy hats, onesies and diapers until the baby is born, then they try to prepare a room or at least a corner in advance, look for a stroller and a crib, a bathtub and scales, and future parents, if they do not attend courses, then look for the most various information on how to care for your baby.
It would seem that there simply cannot be a shortage of any information today, however, any information is a theory, and when a squeaking lace envelope ends up in the house, it’s not surprising to forget or confuse something. Of course, experienced mothers who already have at least one child will not be confused and know exactly the answers to many questions. But young mothers who have given birth for the first time often find themselves in some confusion.
However, a child is not a doll, and he requires every second of attention, constant care and the ability to remember about many things at the same time. Of course, you will certainly develop skills in caring for a newborn, and this will happen quite quickly, but the first weeks after returning from the hospital can be quite troublesome.
Baby in the house: main rules
When a newborn baby appears in the house, there are so many important, necessary and obligatory things that from this huge list you have to choose what is more important than everything else.
Who will help? Who can tell? After all, any theoretical knowledge turns out to be completely inapplicable in practice when a human being looking at you weighs about three and a half kilograms (and it happens even less). Even very active and determined young women can find themselves at a loss. You can’t really count on your spouse’s help, because his courage extends to even less.
And that is why it is not just important, but extremely important and extra important, that there is someone experienced nearby who has already dealt with newborn babies and knows how to deal with them. Moreover, it would be nice for this person (and this could be a mother, a sister who already has children, a friend or even a neighbor) to be constantly nearby for at least a couple of days. During this time, the young mother will come to her senses, become a little more comfortable with the situation and master the most important practical skills that are simply necessary when caring for a newborn.
In addition, it is really important that everything necessary for the baby at this stage of his life has already been purchased, washed, ironed, washed and disinfected and is not lying “somewhere in the closet” or “on that shelf”, but is really at hand, and so that you don’t have to spend a single second and a single nerve cell on the search.
Now you can move on to other very important points.
Feeding a newborn baby
The World Health Organization and all modern pediatricians in the world are absolutely unanimous when it comes to feeding newborns: even the best formulas cannot replace breast milk, therefore, if lactation is normal, then the child should be fed only breast milk.
It has long been known and has been repeatedly confirmed in many studies that breast milk for a newborn is not only food that provides the rapidly developing body with all the necessary nutrients, but also the most important protection against diseases, since the baby’s immature immune system is not yet able to reliably protect him from bacteria and viruses, and with breast milk the baby receives the necessary protection.
Breast milk is sterile, it contains quite a lot of lactose necessary for full development and growth, as well as a perfectly balanced composition of fats, proteins, and amino acids. Breast milk also contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, including calcium, which is vital for growth and the formation of all skeletal bones, as well as for the full development of the entire body.
But perhaps most importantly, SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) is sometimes associated with an infant sleeping in the parent's bed. There is no unequivocal and absolutely indisputable evidence of the dependence of SIDS on sleeping in the same bed with adults, but is it worth the risk if there is at least minimal doubt? And there are many doubts about this issue.
Of course, the parents determine where a newborn should sleep, but it would be a good idea to listen to the advice of doctors and scientists and take into account the experience of millions of families.
Newborn and environment
What should be the air temperature in the room where the baby lives? Does this room need to be ventilated and how often should it be done? These questions interest both parents and grandmothers, but many have their own point of view, which, unfortunately, is often far from correct.
As for the air temperature in the room, it should not fall below 20 °C, but above 22-23 °C is too much. The room where the baby is located should not be hot, because too high a temperature in the room leads to the rapid proliferation of bacteria, a decrease in immunity, which is still practically absent and is only at the stage of formation, and restless sleep.
Of course, there should be no drafts in the room where the baby is, but airing the room must be mandatory and regular. It is ventilation that allows you to clear the air of viruses and bacteria, regulate the air temperature and slightly influence the humidity.
Ventilating a room does not mean making a tiny crack, slightly opening a tiny window for about three minutes, doing this procedure once a week.
The room in which a small child lives should be ventilated several times a day.
The window for ventilation (and in the cold season the window) should be opened completely and ventilated for at least ten minutes (if it is very cold outside, then at least five minutes). It is better to take the baby out of the room while airing.
A very important air parameter in the room is humidity. Regulating humidity is a little more difficult, but there is also special equipment that allows you to humidify or dehumidify the air in a room, and proven “home” methods. For example, to increase the humidity in a room in winter, you can put wet towels on the radiators.
An indicator such as dust content in the air is also extremely important. To make your baby feel as comfortable as possible, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning daily. In addition, while the child is very tiny, it is better to remove any carpets and rugs, as well as everything that can attract and collect dust.
As for indoor plants, it is still better to remove them from the room where an infant sleeps, because a lot of dust collects on the leaves, and the indoor plants themselves (and most indoor plants are exotic) can release substances into the air that are not very beneficial for the child . When the baby grows a little and gets stronger, all the flowerpots will be able to return to their place.
Very important for the baby. The duration of the first walk can be up to half an hour, then the walk will become increasingly longer. When going for a walk, you need to take with you everything that your baby might need: spare diapers and nappies, drinking water, special baby wipes with chamomile extract, and other necessary items.
However, a walk will only be useful if there are no busy highways or other similar objects nearby that pollute the air. Of course, it’s better to walk in a park or square, or at least in a quiet courtyard. If walking outside is not possible, you can leave the stroller with the baby on the balcony.
Of course, it is impossible to tell in a few pages everything that a young mother should know, but experience will come very quickly, and uncertain movements will become dexterous and dexterous. The main thing is to trust your intuition, love your baby and listen to the opinion of the pediatrician. It is very important to ask about everything that raises even the slightest doubt, because the well-being of the baby may depend on the timely correct answer to even the most seemingly tiny question.
Attention! If you have any questions about the care or health of your newborn baby, you should immediately contact your child's pediatrician. Telephone numbers for doctors, visiting nurses and children's clinics, as well as telephone numbers for emergency medical services, should always be in a visible place.
conclusions
The baby was born - another star lit up in the sky. This means that this baby can become a sports star or an opera star, a political or diplomatic star, a star in any field or industry. But for now it is such a tiny creature that even my mother is afraid to touch it.
Of course, these fears will not last long and the mother will quickly learn how to swaddle, and feed, and cut off the tiny nails on miniature fingers, but other fears will appear: will she get a “pair” in the lesson, or will she fight in the yard, and I forgot should we have lunch...
But are there any more pleasant chores and experiences than worrying about your child? In the meantime, mom is worried about swaddling and feeding, about walks and airing, and even the eruption of the first tooth seems to her a very distant future. But the main thing that every mother should know is that the future of this baby, the future of the family, and the future of the country are in her hands now. And even the future of all humanity is now in the hands of a young woman who, with some apprehension, is trying for the first time in her life to change the diapers of a screaming treasure.
Your baby has already been born. You were looking forward to this with anticipation and trepidation and were probably well prepared for the event. But during the prenatal turmoil, when you need to prepare both physically and psychologically for the birth of your baby, you can accidentally forget about important little things. We have compiled.
CLOTH
Even before planning motherhood, many girls are touched by tiny things for children. And how you want to buy up the entire department when you know that the baby is coming soon. But don’t overdo it, it’s better to buy yourself a new blouse. After being discharged from the hospital, a child does not need much:
- six thin vests, bodysuits, rompers;
- up to six warm blouses;
- a hat or bonnet, booties, several pairs of socks (thin and warm);
- seasonal clothes for walking.
- If your baby was born in the cold season, you will also need a warm onesie.
Children grow quickly, so your wardrobe will have to be updated quite often - about once a month. Do not buy a lot of the smallest things at once - after a few weeks the child will need a larger size. As for fabrics, be sure to choose things for your newborn made from natural fibers (cotton, wool).
HYGIENE PRODUCTS
The list of necessary things for a newborn baby also includescotton wool, special herbs, peroxide. The baby needs to treat the navel, clean the nose and ears, and ordinary “adult” products are not always suitable for the baby. Among children's hygiene products there must be cotton wool or sterile cotton pads, a bandage, cotton swabs for cleaning ears with restraints, sterile sunflower oil, three percent hydrogen peroxide, several pipettes with blunt ends, a thermometer, potassium permanganate, brilliant green, an enema, baby cream and powder.
The baby also needs water treatments. In addition to a bath and a thermometer to measure the water temperature, a child after the maternity hospital needs baby soap, a special shampoo for babies, and various... And don't forget about a towel or diaper with a corner.
THINGS FOR SLEEPING
Some parents place their baby in their bed from the first days of life. The child gets used to falling asleep under his mother’s “wing” and with age you will have to. Therefore, as soon as the baby falls asleep, put him in a crib or cradle.
Yes, the baby needs wooden crib with special child protection(make sure that the specific smell of wood disappears), flat and several blankets. You can also buy a cradle instead of a crib. It is more convenient to use, but will only last six months - as soon as the child makes his first attempts to sit up, the cradle cannot be used.
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BIG IMPORTANT THINGS
You are unlikely to forget about the stroller, because it is almost the first thing that expectant mothers buy. But choose a stroller with a dark interior, as the light reflected from the white coating will be too bright and dazzling for your baby. Remember that strollers for newborns and for older babies are different. Read before purchasing. Also if you have a car, you will need.
Other bulky purchases include a changing station. Of course, you can also use available planes - a table and a bed. But changing and swaddling your baby on them can be inconvenient. In this matter, be guided by your comfort.
SMALL IMPORTANT THINGS
After the maternity hospital, you will need a sterilizer in which you can process toys, pacifiers and other small items, a bottle warmer and, of course, toys for newborns. New mothers will also need baby laundry detergent, a baby monitor or video baby monitor, breast pumps and milk storage containers.
Your baby was recently born, and now you are being discharged from the hospital. Now there will be no doctors or nurses nearby around the clock. Who can you ask for advice and inquire about your baby’s health? Who will look after the baby and how now?
Upon discharge
In the case of an uncomplicated spontaneous birth, you and your baby will be discharged from the maternity hospital on the 4-5th day, even if the day of discharge falls on the weekend. For a caesarean section, the patient is discharged a little later - within 7 to 10 days. Before discharge, a neonatologist will come to you and tell you how to care for your baby at home. The pediatric nurse will swaddle and dress the baby in discharge clothes or an envelope.
The doctor will provide you with a set of documents - this is a certificate for the registry office, as well as a discharge summary for the baby for transfer to the children's clinic (at your place of residence or a private clinic). This is necessary so that doctors who will monitor the baby in the future know the characteristics of his health at birth, take into account the procedures performed on him and vaccinations (if any).
The discharge summary notes the exact time and method of birth of the baby, the Apgar score, the course of the early postpartum period, treatment of the umbilical cord and other data. In addition, they will note the result of the general examination and the fact of taking blood for congenital diseases - hypothyroidism and galactosemia.
When you go home, the information about you and your baby will be transferred by telephone to the clinic and the registry office at your place of residence - you will indicate it yourself upon discharge. The next day, even if it is Saturday or Sunday, the pediatrician on duty from the clinic or your local pediatrician will come to your home.
Important note: you are not required to be seen in a clinic at your place of residence - you can choose a private clinic or family doctor and use their services.
Contacts with the children's clinic
There is no need to think that there is something wrong with the baby. Patronage is a system of measures to prevent diseases in children; the doctor comes to see you and notice you in time if problems suddenly arise. The pediatrician can also answer your questions and help with advice - after all, if this is your first baby, you still know little about caring for him.
When the pediatrician arrives, prepare documents - the baby’s discharge summary (third page). If you have questions, write them down on a piece of paper so you don't forget anything.
Specify the address of the children's clinic. The doctor should give you the reception phone number to call a doctor at home, and also provide the opening hours of his office, tell you when the days are for a healthy child and when sick children are admitted.
If this is a doctor at a municipal clinic, he is not obliged to give you his personal cell phone, although he may well do this on his own initiative. If this is a pediatrician from a private clinic, then the possibility of additional telephone consultations and house calls via a personal cell phone is discussed in the contract that you conclude with the medical institution.
Prepare a place where the doctor will examine the baby. It should be light, warm, and there should be hygiene products at hand. The doctor will completely undress the child, remove and treat the umbilical wound. Be prepared to change or swaddle your baby later.
Doctors usually do not take off their shoes when visiting patients, so to avoid misunderstandings, prepare disposable shoe covers when the pediatrician arrives. Many parents buy a whole set - gloves, shoe covers and disposable spatulas for examining the baby’s oral cavity.
First patronage
Upon arrival, the doctor, after washing his hands and warming them, will carefully examine the baby. He will completely undress him, turn him over onto his back and tummy, while asking you about childbirth and breastfeeding, about your complaints about the health and well-being of the baby, about how often the baby has bowel movements and urination. If possible, save one of the diapers with feces when the pediatrician arrives - this is important diagnostic information.
The doctor will examine the baby’s legs and arms, feel the stitches on the head, then palpate the chest and tummy, bring the legs to the stomach and place the baby on his stomach, evaluate his behavior and reflexes.
After the examination, the pediatrician will ask you to treat the umbilical wound in front of him or do it himself to assess the condition of the wound and the degree of its healing. Now is the time to ask accumulated questions, clarify unclear points and seek advice. The doctor will also warn you about the next visits - a visiting nurse or doctor will come to you in turn, 1-2 times a week. If the child requires monitoring for health reasons, then their visits may be more frequent.
If something bothers you
During the normal course of the postpartum period, you will be at home for the entire month, and at the end of it you will come to see a pediatrician at the clinic. But if something bothers you, the doctor can refer you to specialists earlier, or you can additionally call him at home by calling the reception desk. If your child has a fever, diarrhea, or shortness of breath, do not hesitate - call an ambulance or go for a consultation with a doctor.
The first days of a baby after birth are a kind of testing stage for new parents and for the newborn itself. The baby radically changed his habitat, light and sound, nutrition, type of breathing and blood circulation, etc.
Now we need to adapt to all these changes as quickly as possible. The task of adapting to new living conditions lies in the first days of a newborn.
The maternity hospital staff actively helps the mother in caring for the newborn in the first days. But at home, young parents can be confused by the variety of new responsibilities and often contradictory advice that is generously distributed by surrounding relatives and others.
This article is for those who want to hear the opinion of a specialist and experienced parent, formulated in accessible language, clearly and succinctly.
What can mothers encounter in the first days after the birth of a baby in the maternity hospital?
Let us repeat once again that in the first seven days the child goes through an early period of adaptation. Adaptation to new anhydrous conditions. Now the baby does not have a constant body temperature maintained from the outside, uninterrupted nutrition through the umbilical cord, or the usual beating of his mother’s heart nearby.
Immediately after birth, your baby is taken to be examined by a pediatric neonatologist, processed, changed and weighed. Then they will bring you the baby and put it to your breast.
Early attachment to the mother's breast is both skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby and the beginning of an invisible emotional connection between mother and newborn. This is the baby’s immunity, which is triggered by antibodies and immune cells contained in colostrum. This includes the colonization of the first microflora in the baby’s intestines.
Don't worry about feeding. Even if the baby eats literally two drops of colostrum or licks them from the nipple. He doesn't need much right now. And nutritious colostrum can satisfy all the baby’s needs at the moment.
The mother will spend the next two hours in the maternity ward under the supervision of doctors. Further stay of mother and baby can be joint or separate.
When staying together, the child's crib is next to the mother's bed, and they are constantly nearby. During a separate stay, most of the time the child is in the children's department of the maternity hospital. They bring it to mom for feeding.
Experts recommend staying together after childbirth. This is good for both mother and baby. For the mother, this helps to quickly establish lactation and contract the uterus. It is more physiological for the baby to be in close relationship with his mother, as before.
If everything is fine with mother and baby, little time passes after birth before meeting and getting to know your baby closely. As a rule, within a few days of staying in the maternity hospital, mothers have time to thoroughly enjoy the moments of meeting and communicating with the baby and feeding.
But there are different situations when staying together is impossible or undesirable due to the particular condition of the mother or child after childbirth.
It is worth dwelling separately on the conditions of a newborn, which can frighten parents, especially the mother, in the first days. Especially when mother and baby are together.
Moreover, in some cases the mother is embarrassed to ask the doctor about this. And sometimes, to be honest, the doctor will not be able or will not want to explain to the mother in detail and clearly the specifics of her situation with the child. And this will worry and frighten parents even more.
Borderline or transient conditions in newborns are temporary symptoms that arise in connection with the adaptation of a small organism. These conditions do not require special treatment. As a rule, by the end of the newborn period, that is, by the 28th day of the baby’s life, everything passes without a trace.
These include:
1. Physiological weight loss
The baby’s body weight decreases due to the baby’s adjustment to a new type of nutrition. When leaving the aquatic environment “on land,” there is a kind of deficiency of milk and water in the first day. The baby also passes the original feces (meconium), and the remainder of the umbilical cord dries out.
To replenish energy costs, in the first days the newborn’s body uses its own depot of special brown fat, which is concentrated in the neck, kidneys, and upper back. The loss of body weight should not exceed 6-10% of the initial weight at birth.
After 3-4 days of life, the baby begins to gain weight (from 10 to 50 g per day). By the 12th day, a healthy baby should regain the lost weight.
2. Erythema toxicum
Occurs most often 3-5 days after birth. It is a pink spotty rash with yellow lumps in the center. Elements of the rash can be of different sizes: from pinpoint to centimeter, they do not itch.
The rash appears most often on the chest, face, and on the extensor surfaces of large joints and around them (elbows, shoulders, knees). At the same time, nothing bothers the baby, his well-being does not suffer.
This condition occurs due to the penetration into the blood of toxins of microorganisms that the baby has encountered during this time. These even include opportunistic bacteria that colonized the baby’s intestines in the first days of life.
As a rule, erythema toxicum occurs more often in children who have a hereditary predisposition to allergies.
This condition usually does not require treatment. If the process is severe, it is recommended to increase the baby’s drinking regime and sometimes prescribe antihistamines (anti-allergic) drugs. Normally, the rash disappears after 2-3 days.
3. Other transient skin manifestations
- The bright red coloring of a newborn's skin is a peculiar reaction to irritants (removal of birth lubricant, dry air, unusually low ambient temperature).
- Large-plate peeling of the skin in newborns is observed due to a change in environment and excessive evaporation of moisture from the skin. It appears on almost all parts of the body, but is more pronounced on the stomach, legs and feet.
- Milia are small white dots on the back and wings of the nose, on the chin of a newborn. The cause of this condition is blockage of the sebaceous glands. By the 2-3rd week of life, the ducts of the sebaceous glands open, and the milia gradually disappear.
- Increased pigmentation (darkening) of the skin around the nipples and scrotum in boys is a manifestation of hormonal changes in the baby’s body. These changes are associated with a massive release of female sex hormones during childbirth in the mother. The dark coloration of the skin disappears without any treatment by the 3rd week of the baby’s life.
- Telangiectasias are crimson spots in the occipital fossa, on the forehead and in the bridge of the baby’s nose. They represent an expanded network of capillaries (spider veins). This manifestation is popularly called the “stork mark.” Telangiectasias gradually fade and disappear by one year.
4. Sexual (hormonal) crisis
The cause of this condition is the high level of female sex hormones in the last days of pregnancy and at the time of birth and their effect on the body of the newborn.
This appears:
- engorgement of the mammary glands, enlargement and thickening of them for 3-5 days. Sometimes even a light sticky secretion (colostrum) is released from the gland. Within a week everything goes away without any treatment;
- enlargement due to swelling of the labia majora and minora, clitoris in girls, scrotum in boys;
- the release of abundant mucous secretion of a grayish-whitish color from the genital slit in 60-70% of girls. Sometimes bloody discharge (metrorrhagia) appears. As a rule, they disappear after a few days.
5. Physiological jaundice
Jaundice staining of the skin, sclera and mucous membranes appears on the 2-3rd day of the baby’s life. The color intensity reaches a maximum on the 4-6th day, and disappears by the 7-10th day. The baby feels good.
The cause of this condition is the breakdown of a large amount of fetal hemoglobin in the erythrocytes (red blood cells) of the newborn. This is a natural process of replacing fetal hemoglobin with new “adult” hemoglobin. At the same time, the breakdown product of red blood cells, free bilirubin, is released into the blood, which must be utilized by the liver.
But the low enzymatic activity of the immature liver of a newborn does not allow this to be done in a short time. The level of bilirubin in the blood of a newborn ranges from 26-34 to 130-170 µmol/l.
Premature babies develop this condition more often and last longer. Also, the manifestations of jaundice are more pronounced in babies who started breastfeeding late or when their mother has a lack of milk.
It is necessary to strictly monitor the time of appearance and increase in intensity of jaundiced skin coloring, since jaundice is not physiological. For example, in case of Rh conflict between the blood of mother and baby, when the mother has Rh-negative blood and the baby has Rh-positive blood.
6. Transient disturbances of thermoregulation (hyperthermia and hypothermia)
Immediately after birth, the newborn’s body temperature decreases compensatoryly in response to the lower ambient temperature and the evaporation of moisture from the skin.
Therefore, to prevent even greater heat loss, the temperature in the maternity rooms is maintained at no lower than 24°C; the newborn is placed on a heated table for examination, then wrapped in warm diapers. During the first day of life, the child's temperature is within normal limits.
By the 3-5th day of a baby’s life, his body temperature can rise to 38.5°C. The reason for this is the immaturity of the thermoregulation centers of the newborn’s brain, adaptation to dry air with variable temperatures. The child suffers large losses of fluid through breathing. In addition, the mother produces a small amount of milk in the first days of lactation.
7. Transient neurological symptoms
Periodic flinching, inconsistent squinting, slight trembling of the chin when screaming, differences in muscle tone on the left and right sides, instability of muscle tone and reflexes, painful crying or screaming - all this is considered normal in the first weeks of a baby’s life.
It's all due to the immaturity of the newborn's brain. In addition, at the time of birth, the baby experiences an acute lack of oxygen.
There is a so-called imbalance in the processes of excitation and inhibition in the baby’s nervous system. Therefore, he needs time to adjust and learn to perceive such a large flow of information (sound, light, tactile sensations).
8. Transient renal dysfunction
- Neonatal oliguria - in the first three days, urine output is less than 15 ml per kg of the child’s weight per day. This is how the baby’s body adapts to new conditions, where the supply of fluid is limited due to unstable nutrition and there is loss of fluid through breathing.
- The appearance of protein in the urine of a newborn in the first days of life is considered normal. This fact indicates the activation of the function of the glomeruli of the kidneys. And, like many systems, the newborn’s filtration system of the renal glomeruli and tubules is still imperfect. Therefore, the glomerular epithelium has increased permeability, which leads to protein loss.
- Uric acid infarction is the deposition of uric acid crystals in the lumen of the collecting ducts of the kidneys. This condition occurs in every sixth newborn.
Since the breakdown product of many cells, for example, blood cells, is uric acid, the kidneys of a newly born baby do not have time to utilize its excess.
Uric acid, epithelium, hyaline casts, and leukocytes appear in urine analysis. In this case, brick-yellow urine stains appear on the diaper or diaper.
9. Transient disorder of newborn stool (dyspepsia)
A newly born baby will need time for the gastrointestinal tract to adapt to a different type of nutrition and become populated with beneficial microflora. This adaptation process for almost every baby proceeds through the stages presented below:
- During the first 2 days, the baby passes original feces in meager portions (thick, tarry meconium).
- From the 3rd to the 7th day, transitional stool appears. This is frequent (up to 10-15 per day), inhomogeneous stools both in consistency and color. It contains mucus impurities, lumps, and a liquid component, which appears as a water stain on the diaper around the feces. The color of the stool gradually changes from dark olive to yellow.
- After 7–8 days, stool returns to normal. With natural feeding, the stool is a yellow, thick, homogeneous pulp without any admixture of greens. Small amounts of whitish lumps (curdled mother's milk) may appear.
When feeding an adapted formula, children's stools are denser and have a stronger odor.
10. Transient immunodeficiency
A newly born baby experiences a transient decrease in immune forces. Immunity is the body's defenses.
The reason for this is the stress experienced during childbirth, hormonal changes at the time of birth, the change from sterile conditions to an active attack of foreign microorganisms, unstable nutrition in the first days of life, and so on.
The most dangerous period in terms of infection is the first three days. That is why it is so important to maintain sterile conditions for newborns in maternity hospitals.
All of the above manifestations disappear on their own and do not require specific treatment. Therefore, you should not be afraid of them, but it is very important to monitor the dynamics of such symptoms in order to seek help from specialists in time.
Obviously, it is much calmer and better if mommy knows about the possibility of developing such conditions in advance.
The first days of a newborn at home
Now let's talk about the baby's first days at home. Or more precisely, what difficulties parents face in caring for their baby, being left alone with him.
After all, almost all hygienic procedures in the maternity hospital were performed by medical staff, but at home the mother may become confused due to lack of experience in these matters.
Morning toilet (washing, nose toilet, washing)
After waking up, the baby needs to be washed. To do this, you need to take several cotton balls and moisten them with warm boiled water. Wipe the baby's eyes with slightly damp cotton balls from the outer edge of the eye to the inner edge. Then wipe all over your face.
You need to wipe the baby's skin with blotting movements of a soft towel or diaper, and do not rub under any circumstances. You need to make sure that water does not flow into the neck folds and stay there, and if this happens, then carefully wipe the moisture dry.
As a rule, after sleep, crusts accumulate in the baby’s nose, which prevent him from breathing freely. You can get rid of them using cotton wool moistened with petroleum jelly or boiled water. You need to make the flagella yourself.
To do this, you can take a small piece of cotton wool and roll it into a dense flagellum 3-4 cm long and 0.3-0.4 cm thick. Thus, it will be easy for you to insert it into the nasal cavity. By twisting it, you will collect and twist all the crusts from the walls of the baby’s nose onto a cotton strand.
There is no need to clean your baby's ears often. It is enough to wipe the ear and the skin behind it dry after bathing. Often in babies, especially after sleeping in a hat, the skin behind the ear gets wet. It is important to rinse the area and wipe dry. You need to make sure that this area is well ventilated and not wet.
There are small nuances in washing babies of different sexes.
The girl needs to be washed from front to back, so that the remains of feces and all dirt do not fall into the genital slit. Due to the close location of the outlet openings of the rectum, urethra and vagina, girls have a high risk of infection entering the genitourinary tract.
When washing, the girl needs to be positioned facing you, the back of the baby’s head should be placed in the elbow bend of your hand and the baby’s body should be supported with your forearm. Hold the girl by the buttocks with a wide-spaced brush, and wash the skin of the perineum with your free hand.
Boys can be washed in different ways. Over time, you will get used to holding your baby when you wash yourself in exactly the way that is comfortable for you. Over time, this will become easier, because very soon the baby will try to support his head.
Children should be washed under running water. Washing babies in a basin is highly undesirable, as there is a high risk of introducing an infection into the urinary tract with contaminated water.
Your baby's diaper needs to be changed regularly, approximately every three hours and whenever it gets dirty. Until the umbilical wound heals, the upper part of the diaper needs to be tucked under it.
In the first weeks of life (and in the subsequent ones too), it is important to give the baby a break from the hot and heavy diaper. After all, the number of urinations and bowel movements can reach up to 20 per day.
It is advisable to carry out air baths without a diaper several times a day, monitoring the baby’s skin temperature and preventing him from hypothermia.
Newborn's first bath
Almost immediately after arriving from the maternity hospital, the newborn needs to be bathed, because the child was only washed in the maternity hospital. At this time, the baby’s skin is already peeling off on the chest and abdomen and requires renewal. But since the umbilical wound has not yet healed, the possibility of infection is high, the water for bathing must be boiled.
Whether you bathe your baby in a bathtub or a bathtub doesn't really matter. But I am for the child to have his own individual bath at least until the navel heals.
You must take into account that while bathing, the newborn's head and neck must be supported with one hand at all times, so that water does not get into the baby's ears. Therefore, it is better to call an assistant for the first time of bathing the baby.
It is better for an assistant to stand on the other side of the bath. And an approach from both sides is possible only to a free-standing bathtub. It’s also convenient that you can place a small bath at any height convenient for you and in the warmest room in the house (relevant in winter).
In the first six months, you need to bathe your baby every day. The water temperature should be 37-38°C, the air temperature in the room 22-24°C. It is better to bathe before feeding.
For the first couple of days, you need to bathe your baby in water with the addition of potassium permanganate, and then with a decoction of herbs (preferably a series). Potassium permanganate should be diluted in a separate container so that crystals of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) do not get on the baby’s skin during bathing. The prepared potassium permanganate concentrate in a separate container is then added to a bath of water, so that the water acquires a barely pink color.
The child may be scared for the first time in the bath. To make this immersion smooth, so that the temperature difference is not felt so much, it is better to bathe the baby in a diaper for the first time.
The diaper also prevents sudden hypothermia of the baby's skin, which can occur due to intense evaporation of water from the baby's skin.
To bathe the baby, wrapped in a diaper, place it gently in the water, and first wash one hand at a time, and then cover it with a moistened diaper. Only then do they begin to wash the next area of the body.
You can use soap no more than once a week.
The first bathing session should not last longer than 7-10 minutes. That's why another pair of hands won't hurt in this matter.
When bathing, pay special attention to your baby's folds. Rinse them thoroughly, and then pat dry all areas of the skin with a soft towel.
To prevent diaper rash in the folds after bathing, it is better to use powder. Fat diaper creams are not always suitable for a baby and prevent the appearance of redness and diaper rash.
Modern diapers almost always use impregnation to protect the baby's skin. And in practice, not all creams and ointments interact well with the components of this impregnation. Therefore, many layers of all kinds of care products can play a cruel joke on you and your child.
A newborn needs to treat the umbilical wound at least once a day. If the navel is very wet, you can clean the wound twice a day. This is usually done after swimming.
In the first days after removal of the umbilical cord, the navel is covered with a dense bloody crust, which must be removed. After swimming, when she gets wet, this is easier to do.
It is necessary to spread the edges of the umbilical wound with clean hands and generously drop a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide into it. Leave for 20-30 seconds, and then dry the wound, extinguishing it with a cotton swab on a stick. Then treat the bottom of the umbilical wound using a cotton swab on a stick with a 1% solution of brilliant green (brilliant green).
Nail cutting (trimming)
You can trim your baby’s nails immediately after the hospital. As a rule, during this period this is already necessary, since a full-term baby is born with a small but sharp manicure. The nails are very scratched and break easily.
You need to trim your nails in a straight line using scissors with rounded ends. This will reduce the risk of hangnails and infection of the nail bed.
Baby's first walk
If the child is feeling well and the weather is favorable, you can walk with the child outside immediately after discharge from the maternity hospital. The duration of the first walk should not exceed 15-20 minutes.
To prevent your child from getting ready to go out for a long time and from overheating and sweating while getting ready for a walk, choose clothes that are spacious and easy to close.
If anxiety is expressed, the first short walk can be taken in the arms of the mother.
It’s worth going out for a walk after feeding. This makes it more likely that your child will get a good night’s sleep in the fresh air.
In summer, you should avoid active sunshine. That is, it is better to walk with your child before 11 a.m. or after 4 p.m. In winter, walks should be canceled when the temperature drops below -10°C.
In summer, your baby needs to wear one more clothing than he or she wears, and in winter, two more. Plus, keep in mind that a child at this age often sleeps outside, so he needs to be covered with a blanket.
Feeding regimen in the first days
We can talk endlessly about feeding. The topic of feeding can be developed into another article of the same length. Therefore, for new mothers, I will only touch on routine moments here.
The important question is to feed on demand or by the hour?
Answer: It is advisable to feed a newborn baby with breast milk on demand. If desired, after a month of the baby’s life, gradually switch to a feeding regimen every two hours.
When feeding milk replacers, a regimen is required. Therefore, there is no need to give the mixture earlier than 3-3.5 hours after feeding. Food must have time to be digested. Otherwise, you cannot avoid increased gas formation and colic.
The period of the first weeks of a baby’s life consists almost of feedings, smoothly flowing into sleep. In the first days, a newborn can stay awake up to 4 hours a day.
In conclusion, I will summarize. The first days of the baby are the most crucial moment, and the necessary information on the topic will help the mother get through it more smoothly. You just received this information!
Health to you and your children!
Practicing pediatrician and twice-mother Elena Borisova-Tsarenok told you about the peculiarities of the first days of a newborn.
