Practical Tips for Expectant Parents

Practical Tips for Expectant Parents

 

Prenatal Care

Objective: To ensure a good & non problematic birth: A Healthy Mother & A Healthy Baby

 

Frequency of Visits

0 – 28 weeks – monthly

28 – 36 weeks – twice a month

36 – delivery – weekly

 

Nutrition: Important components of healthy diet

• FOLATE

• PROTEIN

• CARBOHYDRATES

• FATS

• IRON

• CALCUIM

• VITAMIN D

 

Most Common Complaints

• Nausea & vomiting

• Backache

• Heartburn

• Hemorrhoids

• Pica (Craving of strange food)

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Frequency of urination

• Vaginal discharge

 

Danger Signs

• Ant vaginal bleeding

• Swelling of face and fingers

• Severe or continuous headache

• Dimness or blurring of vision

• Abdominal pain

• Persistent vomiting

• Chills and fever

• Pain on urination

• Flow or discharge of fluid from the vagina

• Decreased fetal movements

 

Basic Newborn Care

Feeding

Feeding your newborn provides more than just good nutrition. It gives you a chance to hold your baby close, cuddle him, and make eye contact. Theses they bring you closer together emotionally.

 

Ideally, before your baby arrives you should decide whether to breastfeed or feed him infant formula. This is an important decision that requires serious thought.

 

Breastfeeding is highly recommended. Because of its natural composition, breast milk is the ideal food for your baby. It is also contains factors that provide additional immunity against infection, and it is least likely to cause allergic reactions.

 

Though breastfeeding is natural, initiating it requires knowledge and the right attitude on your part. Read as much as you can about it. Talk to parents who have been successful in their breastfeeding. Discuss this with your obstetrician and pediatrician. Breastfeeding once started will prove to be very beneficial, convenient, and easy for you, your baby and your whole family.

 

Bottle feeding your baby using infant formula is a safe alternative. However, it is important that you give these serious considerations before your baby arrives, because starting with formula and then switching to breast milk can be difficult if you wait too long. The production of milk by the breast is most successful if breastfeeding begins right after delivery.

 

Crying

Crying serves several purposes for your baby. It gives him a way to call for help when he’s hungry or uncomfortable. It helps him shut out sights, sounds and other sensations that are too intense to suit him. And it helps him release tension.

 

You may notice that your baby has fussy periods throughout the day, even though he’s not hungry, uncomfortable or tired. Nothing you do at these times will console him, but right after these episodes, times will console him, but right after these episodes, he may seem more alert than before, and shortly thereafter may sleep more deeply that usual. This kind of fussy crying seems to help babies get rid of excess energy so they can return to a more contented sleep.

 

When responding to your baby’s cries, try to meet his most pressing need first. If he’s cold and hungry and his diaper is wet, warm him up, change his diaper and then feed him. Be sure that he is burped after each feeding. If there’s shrieking or panicked quality to the cry, you should consider that a diaper pin is open or a long strand of hair is caught in the toe or finger. You may also try the any of the following soothing techniques; Rocking, either in a rocking chair or in your arms, gently stroking his head or patting his back or chest, swaddling (wrapping the baby snugly in a receiving blanket), singing or talking, playing soft music, and warm baths.

 

Sometimes, if all else fails, the best approach is to leave your baby alone. Many babies cannot fall asleep without crying, and will go sleep quickly if you let him cry for a while. The crying shouldn’t last long if your baby is truly tired.

 

If your baby is inconsolable no matter what you do, he may be sick. Contact your physician.

 

Remember, the more relaxed you remain, the easier it will be to console your baby. Even newborns are sensitive to tension around them and react to it by crying. All babies cry, often without any apparent cause. Newborns routinely cry a total of 1-4 hours a day. It’s part of adjusting to this strange new life outside the womb.

 

Sleeping

Initially, your baby doesn’t know the difference between day and night. His stomach holds only enough to satisfy him for three to four hours, regardless of the time, so there’s no escaping ‘round the clock waking and feeding for the first few weeks. But even at this age, you can begin to train him that night-time is for sleeping and daytime for play. Do this by keeping nighttime feedings as subdued as possible. Don’t turn the lights or prolong late night diaper changes. If he’s napping longer than three or four hours, particularly in the late afternoon, wake him up and play with him. This will train him to save his extra sleeping for nighttime.

 

As he gets older and his stomach grows, your baby will be able to sleep through the night (6-8 hours without waking or feeding) by three months.

 

Unless your pediatrician says otherwise, it is recommended that you put your baby to sleep on his back or side. This is to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

 

Urination

Your newborn may urine as often as every one to three hours, or as infrequently as four to six times a day.

 

Urination should never be painful. If you notice signs of distress while your baby is urinating, notify your pediatrician, as it could be a sign of infection or some other problem in the urinary tract.

 

Bowel Movements

In the first days of life, your baby will have his first bowel movement, which is often referred to as passing meconium. This thick, dark green or black substance filled his intestines before his birth, and it must be eliminated before normal digestion.

 

If your baby is breastfed, his tools should soon resemble light mustard with seed-like particles. Until he starts to eat solid foods, the consistency of his stools should be soft, even slightly watery. If he is formula-fed, his stools usually will be tan or yellow in color. They will be firmer than in baby who is breastfed, but not firmer than peanut butter.

 

If your baby has sudden increase in the frequency of bowel movement (more than one bowel movement per feeding) and usually high liquid content in the stool, it may be a sign that your baby has diarrhea. Notify your pediatrician about this.

 

Bathing

Sponge bath your baby once daily, until the umbilical stump falls off. He may have full baths when the stump has fallen off. Make baths brief so as not to dry your baby’s skin.

 

When bathing him, make sure that the room is warm and lay him anywhere that’s flat, safe and comfortable for both of you-a changing table, bed, floor, or a counter next to the sink will do. Pad hard surfaces with a blanket or a fluffy towel. Check the water temperature using your elbow. Make sure that all the toiletries that you need are within your reach. Never leave your baby alone, even for an instant.

 

Cord Care

Cleanse the cord stump with 70% Isopropyl alcohol at least three times a day. Do not apply oil or powder. Avoid getting it soiled by urine or stool. There is no scientific or medical evidence that abdominal binders “(bigkis)” are beneficial.

 

Skin & Nail Care

Your newborn’s skin may be susceptible to irritation from chemicals in new clothing, and from soap or detergent residue on clothes that have been washed. To avoid problems, double rinse all baby clothes, bedding, blankets and other washable items before exposing your baby to them. For the first few months, do your baby’s wash separately from the family’s.

 

Contrary to what you may see on TV ads, your baby does not need ordinarily need any lotion, oils or powders.

 

To trim your baby’s fingernails, use a soft emery board, baby nail clippers or blunt-nosed toenail scissors. A good time to trim nails is after a bath if your baby will lie quietly, but you may find it easiest to when he’s asleep. Keep fingernails short and smoothly trimmed as possible so he can’t scratch himself. In the early weeks his fingers are so small and his nails grow so quickly you may have to trim them twice a week.

 

By contrast, his toenails grow much slowly and you may just need to trim once or twice a month only.;

 

Screening

Hearing Screen – This is a quick painless procedure that screens for hearing defects in your baby.

 

Newborn Screen (NBS) – This screens for five of the most common metabolic diseases in infancy which can cause mental retardation, severe anemia, blindness, or even death. Infants with any of these diseases appear normal in the beginning. Once the symptoms appear, they are often very difficult to reverse. Hence screening is very important.

 

These two tests are available in The Medical City and other major hospitals in the country.

 

Health Care

Make sure that everyone washes their hands thoroughly with soap and water before holding your baby.

 

Do not expose your baby to cigarette smoke, dust or furry pets.

 

Expose your baby to early morning sunlight and fresh air every day.

 

Bring your baby for regular check-ups with his pediatrician. It is advisable that you find and stick with a pediatrician you feel confident and comfortable with. Having his own pediatrician will ensure that your baby will get the continuity of care he deserves.

 

Be sure that your baby receives most of his childhood immunizations before his second birthday. These will protect him from major diseases like Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertusis (whooping cough), Tetanus, Polio, Hemophilus (Hib) infections, Measles and Rubella (German measles).

 

Note:   This information is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advise, diagnosis or treatment.   If you or someone you know have any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is advisable to seek professional help.

 

For more information, please call:

 

DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS

Tel. No. (632) 988-1000 / (632) 988-7000 ext. 6322

 

CENTER FOR PATIENT PARTNERSHIP

Tel. No. (632) 988-1000 / (632) 988-7000 ext. 6444