Newborn Care and Assessment Immediately After Birth

Keeping the Baby Warm Babies are born wet, so they need to be dried off and warmed up It is also hard for babies to regulate their body temperature right away Babies will be placed on their mother for skin- to-skin contact which helps warm the baby and increases bonding It is common for a cap to be placed on the head to keep warmth from escaping from the top of the head.

test_ bc test_ bc A for Appearance P for Pulse Rate G for Grimace A for Activity R for Respiration

Measurement of the temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate Measurement of weight, length, and head circumference. Cord care. The baby's umbilical cord stump will have a clamp. It needs to be kept clean and dry. Bath. Once a baby's temperature has stabilized, the first bath can be given. Footprints are often taken and recorded in the medical record Before a baby leaves the delivery area, identification bracelets with identical numbers are placed on the baby and mother. Babies often have two, on the wrist and ankle. Physical Examination in the Delivery Room

What Happens in the Nursery? happens-to-your-baby-in-the- nursery_ bc happens-to-your-baby-in-the- nursery_ bc Most babies will only have to go to the nursery after a c-section or if there are complications. Many of the procedures conducted in the nursery can be done bedside (hospitals and birthing centers vary)

Some things to consider…. It is ok to ask to hold your baby and right after birth. Skin-to-skin and The First Feed! skin-and-the-first-feed.aspx skin-and-the-first-feed.aspx Skin-to-skin helps promote breastfeeding and bonding Colostrum! Contains antibodies which prevent illness and infection.

Baby AVA Read the article “Why Newborns Look So Funny” and complete the Baby Ava handout