Baby Content
After The Birth
The moment of elation after your baby is born makes the hard work of
labour all worthwhile !
Newborn's are usually covered in a white pasty substance called vernix
which has protected their skin inutero. Vernix has excellent moisturising
properties, so don't wipe it off your baby, rub it in to her skin. And
if your not squeamish, rub a little around your eyes to battle wrinkles
!
Immediately following the birth, there are several procedures your doctor or midwife may wish to administer to your newborn; .
Suction and Clamping
Your babies nose and mouth are routinely suctioned to clear it's airways
for breathing. This is quite unpleasant I would imagine and not always
necessary. Once the head is delivered, if the baby is allowed to rotate
naturally and wait for the next contraction for the body to follow,
a natural draining process will occur. If baby still sounds gurgly after
it has begun to breathe, a gentle suctioning may be helpful.
Typically the baby is weighed and measured and checked over for any
abnormalities. Provided there were no serious complications with the
delivery, these can all be done once the baby has breastfed at leisure.
As for clamping the umbilical cord, unless there is danger to the baby
of strangulation or impeded delivery, the umbilical cord should never
be clamped or cut until it has stopped pulsating and your baby is breathing
air. While the cord is pulsating it is still providing oxygen to your
baby's brain and pre-mature severing can cause brain damage, heart problems
to name a few. Here are two good links for more detailed medical reasons
to delay clamping the cord.
Risks of Pre-Mature Cord Clamping
Five Good reasons to Delay Cord Clamping
This information is not aimed to frighten anyone, but to create awareness
of your baby's health and needs and all-too common medical mistakes
that you can prevent.
Vitamin K
You may also have discussed whether or not your newborn is to receive
a Vitamin K injection or oral drops. Since babies are born with less
Vitamin K than adults in their system, an dose is given to assist in
the clotting of babies blood to prevent the rare instance of brain haemorrhaging.
New research has been coming to light regarding Vitamin K and I would
recommend visiting this Vitamin K Studies link so you can make an informed
choice. My first child was injected with vitamin K as I was unaware
of the controversy regarding it. My second child was then administered
the very bitter drops, as at the time I was told the drops posed less
risk of childhood cancer than the injection. Upon further investigation,
none of my subsequent children had any form of vitamin K other than
that provided in my breast milk.
Here's more information and research on Vitamin K
Eye Ointment
Eye drops are routine administered to newborns, and again they are not
without controversy. Traditionally Silver Nitrate was put in the newborns
eyes after the birth to kill bacteria that may have been picked in the
birth canal (like gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.). There were many cases
of eye irritation stemming from this and so now erythromycin antibiotic
ointment is used. However, there is still concern over the effects of
this ointment on the newborns health and speculation over whether or
not it should be given routinely. Visit this link for alternative information
on Newborn eye Ointment and make your own decision.
If your newborn has a slight goopy discharge from their eyes or you
often find crusties in them, expressing a little breastmilk into the
affected or both eyes will clear up any minor problems. Breastmilk contains
many beneficial properties and has a success record of being used in
this way.
Follow this link to more information on Newborn Eye Ointment
The Leboyer Method
Frederick Leboyer created a new awareness in the managed childbirth
system with the publication of his book "Birth without violence".
This book gives the view of birth from the newborn's perspective and
ideas as to how to make it less traumatic. Thank goodness that it is
no longer routine to dangle a newborn by it's ankles and slap it's buttocks
to welcome it to the world, but there are still many harshness' of our
environment that we are maybe so used to that we have to re-think how
this is impacting our child's first minutes and hours in the world.
Light: The foetus has spent nine and a half months with only a dim rosy
glow for light. The light of a delivery room or even ordinary overhead
lighting would be blinding. Once the baby is born, it is naturally easier
for them to explore their new environment in dim, subtle lighting. Unfortunately,
this will prevent the success of photo opportunities unless you have
a professional camera, but I feel it's a small sacrifice.
Sound: All sound your baby has heard has been muffled by the amniotic
fluid and your body. Upon delivery, sound will then seem amplified to
your baby's ears. Hushed voices will be more welcoming.
Touch: It has been a very warm, aquatic environment you newborn is used
to, then within seconds, the cool air is brushing it's skin and then
a scratchy towel or blanket is rubbing it into shock ! Make sure the
room is as warm as possible and baby lands on your warm skin after the
birth. All towels and clothes that your baby feels should be as soft
as possible, although not drenched in skin irritating fabric softener
! Brushed flannel cotton is the softest fabric I have found for newborn
clothes and blankets. Remember though, all your baby wants to feel is
your warm skin.
The Baby Moon
The few weeks following the birth is traditionally known as the "Baby
Moon". It is the time when you and your new baby are getting to
know each other and adjusting to your new life together.
Some new mum's seem eager to get things back to "normal" and are down the supermarket, babe in tow within a few days. Indeed, with my first baby, through mis-managed circumstances, my husband and I were house-hunting 8 days post partum ! I gasp to think of it now !
In some cultures it is customary to seclude mother and baby for up
to a month or more, and this, I think, is more like it !
If you can secure help from friends and family for the postpartum fortnight,
do so ! Take full advantage of people offering to help with meals, laundry
etc. your life will develop it's new rhythm soon enough and you'll be
back on top of things, but now is definitely the time to let some stuff
slide ! ..
Make a list of things you need done and let someone else do them.
My advice to new mums is to stay in your bedclothes for at least 2 weeks.
People are less likely to ask you to do anything if you're "not
dressed" ! Keep visitors to a minimum. Again, this is easier done
if you're in bed and resting. Enjoy the adjustment period of establishing
breastfeeding without the hassle of clothing and nursing bras. Sleep
when your baby sleeps, and just hang out together when you're both awake.
Nothing will facilitate bonding faster than this sacred time together.
When it's time to show baby to your community, don't feel shy asking people to wash their hands before touching or holding your baby. A newborn's defences are low initially and transference of bacteria into your baby's mouth is easy with a harmless hand stroke from Granny.
Umbilical Care
Baby's umbilicus will dry up and fall off with 7-14 days after the birth.
To care for it your just need to keep it dry and clean.
At nappy changes, it is advised to wipe around the base with a clean
cotton swab dipped in alcohol. This has commonly been used with satisfactory
results, but may be a bit harsh. I have also known of parents using
calendula tincture or witch hazel.
If you notice a persistent redness/soreness and greenish discharge, then you need to be more scrupulous in cleaning the cord. Be gentle though, and do not pull or force the cord to drop off !
If you suspect an infection, talk to your midwife or health visitor who can suggest a method of treatment. The use of antibiotics should be entirely avoidable if you catch the problem soon enough.
Traditional umbilical facts:
Native Americans would keep a piece of the dried umbilical cord in a
pouch around baby's neck into childhood. If the child fell sick, he
would chew on the cord to promote healing.
It has also been ground into a powder by many cultures and drunk to
cure ills.
In our family, we take the length of cord and sever it from the placenta, squeeze all the remaining blood from it and lay it to dry out; in the shape of a spiral for the girls and a wavy "snake" for the boys. We have them pinned in a display case, a most interesting conversation piece ( ! ), but most of all a special symbol of my connection to my children.
Circumcision Information
For one of the best articles ever written on this topic covering religious,
cultural, medical and social issues, click here: Mothering Circumcision
Article
It is hard to deny that the bizarre and outstandingly cruel practise
of severing a newborn male's foreskin is a blatant disregard to child
torture.
Whether parents cite religious or philosophical reasons for this sickening
act, it needs to be outlawed as an indefensible crime against helpless
newborns.
If someone is seriously considering putting their child through a circumcision,
I would advise that they obtain a video of the procedure to make themselves
fully aware of what is involved. There is a wealth of information and
research proving the harm and permanent damage both physically and emotionally
that this "surgery" causes.
If you have religious, and or social issues regarding circumcision,
this article is a must read to provide yourself with important information.
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