1. The Postnatal Period
Chapter 6.3

2. After the Birth
The neonatal period is the first month after the baby is born.
Jaundice: causes the baby’s skin and eyes to look slightly yellow.
This condition occurs in more than 50% of newborns because the liver cannot remove bilirubin.
Bilirubin: is a substance produced by the breakdown of red blood cells.
In the hospital, doctors may prescribe phototherapy to help the liver do its job.
Phototherapy is treatment using ultraviolet light.

3. Jaundice
Photo-Therapy

4. Bonding Bonding: is forming emotional ties between parents and child.
Knowing how important bonding is, hospitals now delay some of the routine procedures after birth as long as there were no complications.
Immediately after birth, nurses place the baby on the mother’s stomach.
This allows the baby to feel the warmth of the mother’s skin, voice, and heartbeat.
Bonding helps brain development.
During the first year, a baby’s brain cells are making millions of connections.
Through simple interaction, such as hold or singing to the baby, parents help strengthen the baby’s brain development.

5. Being Breast-Fed
If the baby will be breast-fed, the mother may begin nursing right away.
Newborns are born with a strong sucking reflex
They are alert right after delivery
Breast-feeding helps the mothers uterus contract after birth, and therefore helps stop bleeding.
Colostrum: is a high-calorie, high-protein EARLY breast milk.
It satisfies the baby’s appetite and provides protection from illnesses.

6. Help with Feeding
All babies lose weight during the first few days of life, but will gain it back later.
By the fourth day, breast-feeding mothers begin to produce more milk.
Some mothers have trouble with breast or bottle feeling.
Can get help while they are still at the hospital.
Lactation Consultant: is a professional breastfeeding specialist who knows how to encourage adequate milk production and how to position babies properly so they can nurse.

7. Rooming-In
Full rooming-in means that the baby remains with the mother in her room during the entire hospital stay.
Partial rooming-in means that the baby stays in the nursery for part of the time.
Have advantages for the entire family.
Tend to have one main caregiver, and nurses attending to their needs.
Tend to cry less, and parents get the experience they need to leave the hospital.

8. Legal Documents
Birth Certificate is the most important document of personal identification anyone has.
Parents fill out a form provided by the hospital birthing center.
Parents keep a copy and another copy is sent to a government office where it is filed.
Federal government recommends that a baby receive a social security number in their first year.
Hospitals provide family with necessary forms.

9. Caring for Premature Babies
Premature babies are born before 37 weeks of development.
Many spend time in the hospital neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU)
Not all hospitals have a NICU and the baby may have to be transferred to a larger hospital.
NICU has 3 levels.
Level 1: provide routine care for preemies.
Level 2: care for preemies who need to be monitored closely.
Level 3: these provide care for very premature babies (less than 34 weeks)

10. Caring for Premature Babies
Special Needs:
Premature babies do not have enough body fat to maintain their temperature, even with blankets.
NICO provides incubators and special warmers
Decrease the risk of infection and surround the baby with warm air.
Need special nourishment
Fed breast-milk through feeding tubes
Frequently tested for infections
Their blood cell and blood sugar levels are checked often
Improved Care
Has improved greatly over the years

11. Mothers Postnatal Care
Postnatal Period: is the time following the baby’s birth.
Mother is physically exhausted & now responsible for caring for a new born.
Mothers who have a C-Section have a longer recovery time
Physical Needs:
Recovery from pregnancy and childbirth takes time
Needs Include:
Rest
Exercise- stretching and walking short distances (doctor approval)
Nutrition
Check-ups

12. Emotional Needs
Many women feel confused a few days after birth and experience mood swings.
The “baby blues” are very common.
The mother may cry for no reason, feel irritable, lonely, anxious, or sad
A small percentage of new mothers experience these symptoms to a greater degree.
These are considered blues that DO NOT go away.
Postpartum Depression: is a condition in which new mothers feel very sad, cry a lot, have little energy, fell overly anxious about the baby or have little interest in the baby, and in extreme cases, think of harming the baby.
Treatment is available and they should talk to their doctors about it