|
Kangaroo mother care and the newborn baby
2007-12-27 09:38:27
By Ebinnah Corah
Many women are overwhelmed by the idea of becoming mothers and do not know what to do with the baby especially if it`s the first one. They have heard so many things about babies some of which are true while others are myths.
Medically it is believed that the mother should put the baby to the breast as soon as possible after birth.
This will help create a deep and lasting bond that will help ease the whole nursing experience. The baby is born with a rooting instinct that will help him or her find his or her mother`s breast whilst lying on her abdomen after birth and the sensation and individual smell of his or her mother will never be forgotten.
Mothers who have done this before the baby is taken away for weighing, measuring, bathing and testing seem to gain confidence more quickly and encounter fewer problems with early mothering.
Make sure your midwife or doctor knows that you want uninterrupted time with your baby straight after birth.
One other important thing to do is skin-to skin contact as often as possible.
This is especially important for low birth weight babies, premature infants, ill babies and restless anxious little ones.
Research shows that weight gain in low-birth weight and premature babies is almost doubled with kangaroo mother care-where baby is bound chest-to-chest to the mother for significant parts of the day and baby can elicit the correct temperature from the mother`s body to warm themselves too, which is another challenge for infants.
Hearing mom`s heartbeat and feeling her warmth and closeness help to relax all babies and their mothers too.
The umbilical cord and navel should be cleaned at each nappy change. This is important to prevent infection from the urine and stool entering through this channel into the baby as well as the cord stump itself.
It may seem like a bit of a tough job but you will soon get accustomed and by day ten or fourteen, the cord will be off and you will only need to clean the navel thoroughly up to six weeks.
One area that most mothers forget to wash is behind the baby`s ears. If you notice a sour smell from the baby especially from the head area, chances are that milk deposits have accumulated behind the ears.
This accumulation of milk runs down the cheeks behind the ears.
Gently pull the shell away from the skull and wipe down well with moist cotton wool balls or a face flannel.
They might be quite crusty initially but if you keep moistening them you will soon free them up. The most effective way to prevent nappy rash is by washing baby\'s buttocks at each nappy change.
Soap wipes, moist clothes and oil on cotton wool are simply not good enough for all changes, but should be used for convenience when not at home. Simply run a basin of warm water and wash with baby soap. Pat dry with a small towel.
When a baby girl has passed a stool, splay the labia (lips) off the genital area gently while cleaning and remove all traces of poo with moistened wool balls.
Make sure too that when you wash the buttocks, this area is not missed but you have to be gentle though.
Communication is important for many reasons and for this reason it is important to talk to the baby quite often. A baby knows and loves the sound of your voice and early speech is learnt from the very first days.
Stroll around the house and garden with baby and talk about everything you see, think, and feel. Point out objects, people and colours. Apart from building blocks for learning, baby will feel very special and reward you with contentment.
The baby\'s mouth is a self cleaning body part and you do not need to do anything before teeth erupt. If baby seems to have a white layer on the tongue, it will either be milk deposits and these will quickly disappear or baby might have thrush which cannot be removed manually and requires treatment.
One very important thing for mothers to do is retract baby boy`s foreskin before it is loose.
This will start to happen anytime from about two to three years, maybe even as late as five years. Simply pull back gently the little distance it will move initially, as forced retraction may lead to scarring of the sensitive gland tissue beneath foreskin.
Show your toddler how to retract and clean himself but check that it is done well from time to time.
Comparing babies to each other is one vital aspect of motherhood.
There are similarities to babies and it is always nice to gossip with other parents about what baby has accomplished.
However serious comparisons are odious.
So many factors affect each individual baby`s milestones attainment.
The irony is that most of these will soon be forgotten as baby moves on to greater things. Believe in your baby and give him/her your best and be proud of him or her, that is all baby needs.
|
