Birth Practices And Early Infant Feeding Flashcards
What happens immediately after a baby is born?
- Baby is handled by the midwife or parent.
- dried thoroughly and stimulated
- baby begins to breathe and cry
- baby is placed on mothers abdomen
What is used to assess conditions of baby at birth?
Apgar score
How to safely position a baby for skin to skin contact.
Ensure baby is thoroughly dried, place so chest and abdomen is against mum’s. Ensure baby’s head is turned to the side slightly. Cover with warm dry towels
What are some benefits of skin to skin?
- Helps mother and baby fall in love
- baby is exposed to mothers bacteria which boosts the immune system.
- settle down feel calm safe and secure
- baby learns where to go for food and pickup up on mothers heartbeat and breathing.
- stimulates release of prolactin and oxytocin
What happens when the baby moves on mother’s chest?
Baby moves arms and knees when wiggling on mother’s chest which presses into the woman and tells uterus to contract and push out placenta.
What is the placenta?
Temporary organ that supplies baby with nutrients when in womb. Must be pushed out as woman may bleed or get infected.
Nine stages of neonatal behaviour
l. Birth cry 2.relaxation 3. Awakening 4.activity 5. Rest 6. Crawling 7. Familiarisation 8. Suckling 9. Sleep
What common interruptions may occur in the immediate postnatal period?
- Whisking baby away for health checks
-passing baby around
Post birth hormones
Oxytocin - love hormone. Elicits feelings of attachment and contentment. Stimulated by touch (skin to skin contact)
Prolactin- helps to milk. Ongoing
prolactin production stimulated by suckling on breast
How do we create an environment which is conductive to prolactin release?
Keep mum and baby together, keep baby on chest, keep private, breastfeed baby when hungry, not give formula or dummy.
