Your child. Everything you need to know about your baby - from birth to age two William and Martha Serz

The first minutes of a child's life

The first minutes of a child's life

The child leaves the mother's womb and begins to breathe air - it needs to be in good hands.

First events

The first thing to do when the baby is finally picked up is to make sure that everything is okay with him and that he is healthy. At birth, the baby's mouth and nose are filled amniotic fluid(amniotic fluid). The midwife sucks out this fluid, opening the path for air. The baby "blows its nose" for the first time a few seconds after birth - sometimes even when only the head has been born and the rest of the body is still inside. After suctioning fluid from the baby's airway, the midwife clamps and cuts the umbilical cord, and life begins outside the womb. Sometimes these procedures are performed with the child lying on your stomach - this soft pillow from which the baby begins a new life.

First touches

The birth of a child is inextricably linked with the touch of hands. During childbirth, many mothers bend down and touch the baby's head as it emerges from the birth canal; it seems to be an instinctive need. (If the period of contractions and pushing turns out to be long, touching a small part of the baby’s head, which has not yet fully emerged, gives the mother strength.) Some obstetricians welcome it when fathers touch the head of a not fully born baby or even allow them to run their hands over the body, slipping out of the birth canal, and the father has a feeling of participation in childbirth.

I clearly remember the feelings I felt at the birth of our sixth child, Matthew. The doctor was late and I had the privilege of picking up our baby. (When I bragged to friends that I had a baby, Martha was quick to correct me. She gave birth to Matthew, and I picked up. Martha is right: why should dad get all the credit when mom does all the work?) I also remember the elation I felt when my hands first laid on my son's head. This is a special connection that is formed at the moment of birth; we still feel this connection many years later. Matthew will never remember that first touch, and I will never forget it.

Since I had gained experience in picking up newborns, I also oversaw the birth of our seventh and eighth children (I was also present at the birth of our adopted daughter). Many obstetricians these days allow fathers to in an unusual way feel an inextricable connection with your child. This first contact isn't for all fathers (and mothers, too), but if it's important to you, ask to be allowed to do it.

First change of scenery

Once the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, the baby makes the most important transition of its life - from placental breathing to air breathing. Some children immediately start crying. Others need to be given a few sips of oxygen and stimulated to start breathing.

First meeting

With the words "all systems working" (doctor's jargon meaning baby is pink and breathing well), the doctor places the baby on your stomach - skin to skin, baby's head resting between your breasts - and covers the newborn with a warm, moisture-absorbing towel to dry him and don't let it freeze. Help your baby position his cheek to your breast and lick or suck your nipple. If he is restless and continues to scream, it is because he has just had a hard time. Put your warm hand on the child's back - this will give him a feeling of security. He is calm, warm, sucking rhythmically, and his nerves are calming after the stress of childbirth.

The way the child was treated makes sense not only from a psychological, but also from a medical point of view. Newborns are chilly. In a position on the mother's stomach with their cheek to her chest, they are warmed by the heat coming from her. Sucking stimulates the production of oxytocin, a hormone that helps the uterus contract and reduce postpartum bleeding.

This first meeting should be intimate. After the doctor is sure that everything is in order with the mother and child, and the curtain falls on the birth scene, family time begins - only the three of you remain: mom, dad and newborn (and other children, if they want and are allowed) . This is a special time of family intimacy and should not be interrupted by normal procedures.

First impressions

Immediately after birth, newborns usually have a pained expression: a painful grimace, a wrinkled forehead, swollen eyes, tense arms and legs, clenched fists. And after just a few minutes, babies look calm and focused. This is the basic condition of the newborn, it in the best possible way promotes his interaction with the new environment. The child is calm but attentive, his eyes are wide open and looking for others - let them be your eyes. The baby looks into your eyes, nestles against your chest, his fists unclench, he relaxes and rests peacefully on your body. Both need this intimacy: the child needs warmth and peace, and the mother needs to feel the baby’s body. During this first interaction, the baby perceives the sound of your voice, your smell, the warmth of your skin and the sweet taste of your first food. He continues to suck, you continue to come to your senses, you both feel good. About an hour after birth, the baby falls asleep.

First feelings

Try to imagine how your child feels during this first meeting. They tried to soften the transition from the refuge inside the mother to the refuge created by your skin, hands, and breasts. Difficult experiences are replaced by peace, warmth, comfort, the baby learns that the world outside is a good, comfortable place. The old connections remain, only the way they manifest themselves has changed.

The newborn you now see is the child you felt day and night, whom you already knew and have finally met. We noticed that in the first moment, the mother and father look at their newborn as if through a wide-angle lens and see the big picture of the uniqueness of this new little person. Then they gradually begin to notice particulars. First of all, young parents notice family traits: “She has your ears,” says mother to father. “She has grandma’s nose,” Dad might exclaim.

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It is very important to warm the child in the first minutes of life. Considering that the air temperature in the delivery room is much lower than the temperature in the womb, a newborn baby can quickly become hypothermic. This is very dangerous not only for his health, but also for his life. A decrease in a child’s body temperature to 36.4ºC is already a serious stress for him. This can lead to respiratory distress, decreased sucking reflex, increased susceptibility to infection, and neurological disorders.

How to keep your baby warm after birth?

International experts from the World Health Organization have formulated the following 10 main steps (conditions) to ensure the thermal chain in the maternity hospital:

• the responsibilities of the hospital staff include providing a warm, clean maternity room, where the air temperature would be 25º-28ºC and there would be no drafts;
• Immediately after birth, the baby must be dried immediately. To do this, use warm diapers, which quickly, gently, but thoroughly wipe the baby's skin dry with blotting movements. At the same time, he lies on his mother’s stomach.
• here, on the mother’s stomach, after drying, a previously prepared and warmed cap and socks are put on the child;
• mother and child must be covered with a warm blanket;
• contact of the child with the mother’s body “skin to skin” should last for at least 30 minutes, and if possible, up to 2 hours, before transferring the mother and child to a shared ward. If the birth took place by caesarean section, skin-to-skin contact can be carried out by the child's father or another person close to the family who was present at the birth;
• transportation to a shared ward must include everything necessary conditions maintaining thermal comfort for the child;
• It is extremely important for mother and child that the first breastfeeding occurs no later than 30 minutes after birth:
• procedures such as weighing and bathing the child will have to wait. They can be carried out a few hours after birth, while observing all the necessary conditions of thermal comfort. After bathing, the child should be changed into clean underwear, a vest, rompers, or loosely swaddled.
• in the future, it is imperative to monitor the child’s body temperature and prevent it from cooling down during swaddling, washing, examinations and procedures. A body temperature of 36.5º-37.5ºC is considered normal for a newborn baby.
• the mother and her child must be together all the time, in a shared ward. Ideally, this ward would be designed for one mother-child pair;

Compliance with these conditions will allow the newborn to retain heat and quickly adapt to new temperature conditions.
In the above list of steps there are points, the observance of which, as well as the creation of thermal comfort, are significant for the child.

Many researchers have proven the fact that “skin to skin”, “eye to eye” contact has important biological and psychological significance for the mother and for the newborn child. Every species of mammal has such close contact between the baby and its mother immediately after birth. Let's remember what a cat does as soon as she gives birth to a kitten? That's right, she licks him, examines him, helps him find his vital nipple. What does the kitten do as soon as he comes to his senses?

He finds this nipple and, having attached himself, sucks for a long time until he is satisfied. And note, no one teaches cats or kittens this. Why? Because this is a biological program developed throughout the evolution of biological species. In other words, this is an instinct thanks to which mammals, including humanity, have not yet become extinct. This means that such contact immediately after childbirth is fateful, both for the mother and for the child, and it must necessarily take place in the delivery room. And voluntary or involuntary interference in the natural course of events is a gross violation of the laws of nature, for which one has to pay dearly.

Recently, many publications have appeared on the phenomenon of imprinting and its role in the psychological relationship between mother and child. Scientists have proven that the degree of affection and love for each other between mother and child largely depends on how the first hours and days after birth passed for this couple.

Unfortunately, in some cases early contact between mother and child is not possible. Either the mother must be recovering from surgery or complications, or the child requires special care. In such cases, the period of separation should be reduced to a minimum. As soon as the mother feels better, she needs to start taking care of the child.

If the birth took place by caesarean section, and the mother feels confident enough, staying in the same room with the child is possible from the first day. The woman should be assisted in her care by hospital staff, perhaps so that relatives are also involved in this matter.

Skin contact and sharing the same room with the baby play another significant role - this is exactly what a newborn needs. This is protection against infections. It is very important that your newly born baby receives the microorganisms that inhabit your skin. Then his body will be able to actively resist surrounding pathogenic bacteria and viruses.

Early breastfeeding after childbirth

Putting your baby to the breast early is also vital. an important condition normal adaptation of the child to new living conditions. It should take place within the first hour after birth. Usually, newborn babies rest for some time immediately after birth, sneeze out the liquid that is in the nose, and behave calmly. But after 15-20 minutes they begin to show a searching instinct, crawling along their mother’s belly in search of a nipple.

It is at this moment that you should be helped to put your baby to your breast. And he should suck as much as he wants. The baby cannot be taken off the breast. This is his reward for the first victory he has just won in his life. The colostrum that the baby receives is an absolutely indispensable food for him. It is rich in immunoglobulins, hormones, and vitamins that provide protection and normal adaptation to extrauterine life.

For you, putting your baby to your breast early is also of great importance. Stimulation of the nipple by the baby promotes good contractions of the uterus due to the production of oxytocin. Also, this has the most positive effect on lactation. It is an absolutely proven fact that what earlier child attached to the chest, the greater the chances of successfully breast-feeding.

It would be very good if in the first minutes of your baby’s life his father was next to you (this is possible if you choose to have a partner birth). His love and support will be extremely necessary for you!

The midwife washes her hands, treats them with alcohol and then proceeds to toilet the newborn. The newborn's mouth and nose are cleared of mucus using a sterile balloon or catheter connected to an electric suction device. Then proceed to prevention of ophthalmoblennorrhea: the newborn’s eyelids are wiped with sterile cotton wool (a separate ball for each eye), the lower eyelid is carefully pulled down with the fingers of the left hand and, using a sterile pipette, 1-2 drops of sterile, freshly prepared 2% Silver Nitrate Solution or 30% are applied to the mucous membrane (conjunctiva) of the eyelids. Albucid solution, and for girls in the external genitalia.

Next we proceed to umbilical cord treatment. Primary treatment and ligation of the umbilical cord is carried out after the pulsation of its vessels has completely stopped, which is usually occurs 2 - 3 minutes after the birth of the fetus. The umbilical cord should not be crossed until the pulsation of the vessels stops, since during this time about 50–100 ml of blood from the vessels of the umbilical cord and placenta flows through the umbilical cord to the fetus. Before crossing the umbilical cord, it is wiped with alcohol at a distance of 10–15 cm from the umbilical ring, then two Kocher clamps are applied. One clamp is at a distance of 8–10 cm from the umbilical ring, the second is 2 cm below the first. The umbilical cord between the clamps is treated with a 5% iodine solution and crossed with sterile scissors, the clamp is placed at the level of the vaginal opening. The newborn is shown to the mother and taken to the newborn room.

In the room, the newborn baby is placed on a changing table covered with a sterile diaper, and the final treatment of the umbilical cord is performed. It consists of the following: the midwife repeatedly washes her hands with soap and treats them with alcohol. The fetal section of the umbilical cord is additionally treated with alcohol, and the remaining blood is squeezed out of it. At a distance of 0.5 cm from the umbilical ring, a Rogovin clamp is applied to the umbilical cord with a special tool - a clamp. The umbilical cord remnant above the bracket is cut off with sterile scissors, the surface of the umbilical cord cut is lubricated with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate, after which the umbilical cord stump is wiped with a dry sterile gauze cloth. The remainder of the umbilical cord with a staple placed on it is covered with a sterile napkin for 5–6 hours, and then it is removed and the remainder of the umbilical cord remains open; he is carefully examined daily by a doctor in the neonatal department.

After applying the Rogovin staple and cutting off umbilical cord remnant the cut surface is treated twice with an interval of 3–5 minutes with a 96% alcohol solution.

After processing the umbilical cord, the midwife finishes the newborn's toilet. The skin is treated with a napkin moistened with sterile Vaseline or solar oil, removing excess cheese-like lubricant, residual blood and mucus. After finishing the toilet, the newborn is carefully examined to identify congenital developmental anomalies or injuries that sometimes occur during childbirth (fracture of the clavicle, humerus, formation of cephalohematoma, etc.). Then the child is weighed on a baby scale, height, head circumference in straight size, and shoulder circumference are measured. Signs of maturity, immaturity and postmaturity are noted. The arms are covered with bracelets made of medical oilcloth and a medallion, which indicates the mother’s last name, first name and patronymic, the child’s gender, his weight and height, as well as the date of birth. Then the child is swaddled, put on a sterile warm vest, wrapped in a sterile diaper and blanket, left for 2 hours on a special table, after which he is transferred to the neonatal department.

During the first hours of life in the maternity hospital, the child is under the supervision of medical workers. In the maternity ward and in the children's department, the baby will undergo a number of mandatory activities, on which his health largely depends.

What happens to the baby in the delivery room?

The fetus is considered a newborn child after being removed from the woman's birth canal. At the moment when this happened, the time of birth of the baby is recorded.

According to stereotypes healthy child immediately starts screaming. But the cry occurs after 10–20 seconds, during which the baby does not react to light and sound, does not move. This state occurs under the influence of a hormonal surge and is called birth catharsis. The latter reduces the level of stress that arises in the child during the transition from the intrauterine environment to new world. Without waiting for a cry, the baby’s nasal passages are cleared with a pear-shaped enema so that nothing interferes with the first breath.

From the moment of birth, the baby can cry for 5–15 minutes, due to which the lungs will fully expand and saturate the blood with oxygen.

From the first minute of a newborn's life, it is important to keep him warm. It is placed on a heated table, covered with a warm, dry diaper, and dried, clearing the skin of any remaining amniotic fluid. The neonatologist begins to examine the child, assessing his condition according to the Apgar scale.

The Apgar score is necessary to assess the viability of a newborn using basic signs such as heartbeat, breathing, skin color, muscle tone and reflexes.

Scores for each of the five characteristics are summed up. As a result, the child scores from one to ten points.

Table: Apgar score results and required assistance

The Apgar score is assessed at the first and then at the fifth minute after birth. If the scores are initially low but improve upon re-examination, this is a positive sign.

In addition to vital signs, the neonatologist:

• examines the child’s head, evaluates its shape;
• palpates the fontanel;
• feels the palate for clefts;
• listens to heart and lung sounds;
• palpates the abdomen, studying the location of the internal organs;
• examines the genitals, palpates the scrotum for boys;
• counts the number of fingers and toes;
• checks for dislocation of the hip joints;
• compares the proportions of different parts of the body.

After the examination, they thoroughly clean the baby’s skin and cover the baby with a dry, heated diaper. The eyes are instilled with 1% silver nitrate, 30% sodium sulfacyl or other drops with an antibacterial effect. This is necessary to prevent the child from getting eye diseases if there were gonococci, chlamydia or other pathogens in the woman’s birth canal. For girls, the same drops are additionally dripped into the genital slit.

Then the midwife weighs the baby, measures his height, head and chest circumference. At the same time, blood is taken for group and Rh factor.

After anthropometry, the child is dressed to prevent his body from becoming hypothermic. It is important that the baby’s head is kept warm, through which heat is lost most quickly.

Tight swaddling immediately after childbirth is not recommended today, since it is believed that it has a negative effect on blood circulation.

Upon completion of the procedures in the delivery room, the child is dressed and swaddled freely

The health worker fills out three bracelets, each of which indicates:

• Full name mothers;
• birth history number;
• gender of the child;
• date, time of birth;
• anthropometric parameters (height, weight);
• blood type, Rh factor (not in every maternity hospital).

Two of the three bracelets are placed on the child’s wrist, and the third is placed on the mother’s hand.

Examination and anthropometry data are entered into the birth history, which is maintained from the moment the pregnant woman is admitted to the maternity hospital until the mother and baby are discharged.

As a rule, the baby falls asleep 10–20 minutes after birth. This suggests that adaptation to new environmental conditions was successful, the lungs and heart started working.

For two hours, the young mother and child are in the delivery room under the supervision of doctors. If no complications arise during this time, the woman and child will be transferred to the children's department.

Skin-to-skin contact and first breastfeeding

Many doctors believe that early latching and skin-to-skin contact in the first minutes have a beneficial effect on mother and baby for many reasons:

1. The baby is contaminated with maternal microflora. If the child is not immediately given to the mother, his body will be colonized by foreign microorganisms.
2. Being with the mother, the baby calms down faster. Research has proven that in such children their breathing and heart rate stabilize faster.
3. Newborns who are immediately put to the breast develop immunity faster. The first drops of colostrum trigger the body's production of protective antibodies that can fight off many infections.
4. In women, the risk of postpartum complications is reduced, and the uterus contracts faster.

Not only in Russia, but also in many European countries, modern doctors are inclined to believe that the child should be in close contact with the mother immediately after birth

If the birth took place without complications, the baby is immediately placed on the mother's stomach. The baby is covered with a diaper on top to prevent him from freezing. Several minutes pass in this way, during which the first cry is heard, the baby begins to actively move his limbs, tries to crawl and even look for the breast. It is advisable to place the newborn on the nipple to activate his sucking reflex.

While the mother is in close contact with the baby, the midwife can cut the umbilical cord. The baby is then taken for the Apgar score and care described above.

If a woman gives birth by caesarean section under spinal anesthesia, she is conscious, so she can get to know the baby. In the case of general anesthesia, the first contact will occur after the mother returns to consciousness.

The child is not immediately given to the mother if:

1. Apgar scores are low and resuscitation is required.
2. The baby was born with severe pathologies and developmental anomalies.
3. The maternity hospital does not practice early contact between mother and child. Contact occurs after procedures and hygienic treatment of the newborn (after 10–15 minutes).

When the umbilical cord is cut

In most Russian maternity hospitals, the umbilical cord is cut when it stops pulsating (1-2 minutes after birth). However, in clinics in the USA and Europe they practice delayed cutting - after 5–20 minutes.

American pediatrician Mark Sloan believes that the umbilical cord should be cut no earlier than three minutes after the birth of the child.

Regardless of whether the birth was premature or at term, approximately a third of the total blood volume is still in the placenta. This corresponds to the volume required to fully supply the lungs, liver and kidneys.
One of the benefits of late cutting is obtaining the necessary iron supply. In addition, newborns whose umbilical cords were clamped after 2-3 minutes, and therefore received a larger volume of blood, have a smoother activation of the cardiopulmonary system.
And one more advantage: the supply of stem cells, which, among many other functions, play vital role in the development of immune, respiratory, cardiovascular and central nervous systems. At the moment of birth, the concentration of stem cells in the blood of a newborn is higher than at any other period of life. Premature cord cutting accounts for nearly a third of these critical cells in the placenta.

Pediatrician, member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Mark Sloan

https://mumis34.livejournal.com/642834.html

The question of the possibility of late intersection of the umbilical cord in each case is considered individually, even if the maternity hospital has a positive attitude towards this method. If the baby requires resuscitation, the umbilical cord is cut as quickly as possible.

The umbilical cord is cut by pre-clamping it with a ligature or special plastic clamps

When the child's father is present at the birth, he can cut the umbilical cord himself under the supervision of a midwife.

If the husband was at the birth, the right to cut the umbilical cord is often entrusted to him

Video: mandatory events for a newborn in the delivery room

Vaccination in the first hours of life

In the delivery room, the woman must agree to have her baby vaccinated or refuse the procedure.

To agree to vaccinations in the maternity hospital or refuse them, the mother of the newborn fills out a special form

In the first 24 hours, according to the National Vaccination Calendar, the child is vaccinated against hepatitis B. The manipulation is carried out in the delivery room or in the children's department.

The hepatitis B vaccine is most often given to newborns in the thigh area.

The young mother is informed that it is not advisable to get the injection site wet for three days. If, while caring for a child, water gets on the vaccination area, it should be quickly removed with a dry cloth.

When a child requires urgent surgical intervention after birth, vaccination is carried out in the first hour of life. If the mother, father or other close relatives are infected with hepatitis B, the risk of infection to the baby is high. A newborn should be vaccinated as quickly as possible in order to prepare his immunity to fight the virus before being discharged from the hospital.

The BCG vaccination (against tuberculosis) is also given in the maternity hospital, but not earlier than on the third day after the birth of the child.

Transfer to the children's department

Before transferring the newborn to the children's department, he will be examined again by a neonatologist. This applies to children who have received satisfactory Apgar scores.

Babies with mild asphyxia immediately after birth end up in an oxygen ward, and with moderate or severe form- to the intensive care unit, where they are kept in an incubator until their condition stabilizes.

In the department, the nurse checks the inscriptions on the bracelets with the entries in the birth history and documents the admission. The child and mother are placed in the same room or in different ones.

Table: features of the joint and separate stay of mother and baby

Most women and doctors are inclined to believe that staying together is better for both mother and child

In maternity hospitals, where the scheme of shared stays has been worked out, women are allowed to give their child to the children's nurse for a few hours in order to fully rest.

Childbirth is behind you - and you finally saw your baby. Now he is an independent being. How are the first minutes of his life going? An obstetrician-gynecologist with 30 years of experience will tell you about everything that should happen in the maternity hospital.

Left behind are childbirth and the long period during which you and the baby were practically one. You have already seen your child, held him in your hands, and have even gotten a little used to the idea that he is now an independent being, and from now on, different specialists will take care of his and your life.

Gradually the only important question"Is everything okay with my baby?" is supplemented by a number of others, and most of them relate specifically to the child. Questions regarding one’s health and condition arise either if something goes wrong, especially if there is a prospect of a stay in the hospital, or if the mother’s very feelings make her worry about whether she has the strength to cope with the baby at home, where there is no professional assistants - doctors and nurses.

• What manipulations does the child undergo immediately after birth?
• Should I worry if my child scores lower on the Apgar scale? What does this threaten him with?
• Modern experts advise putting the baby to the breast immediately after birth, is this really so important?
• Is it possible to put a baby to the breast after a caesarean section?

Early breastfeeding

IN recent years Almost all maternity hospitals in our country practice early attachment of the baby to the mother's breast, with the exception of those rare cases when there are contraindications on the part of the mother or baby. The first sensations from contact “skin to skin”, “eye to eye” are necessary for both mother and her baby. It is believed that the sucking process promotes early contraction of the uterus and faster separation of the placenta, as well as reducing the degree of blood loss in the mother. The baby at his mother’s breast feels loved and more protected in the new world. He develops a strong and long-term attachment to his mother. The mother, in turn, calms down faster after all the worries when she sees that the birth process went well for the child. This promotes the manifestation of maternal instinct and faster formation of breast milk.

So, the doctors present at the birth will decide immediately after the birth of your baby whether it is possible to put him to the breast. First, he will be dried with a warm diaper and placed naked on the mother's stomach to quickly examine and rule out diseases that require immediate medical attention.

The child will be assessed on the Apgar scale, which includes five signs: heartbeat, breathing, skin color, muscle tone and reflex response to touch. The severity of each symptom can be 0.1 or 2 points. Scoring is carried out in the first/fifth minute of life. Therefore, there are always two Apgar scores, for example 8/9 points. The condition of children who score from 7 to 10 points is considered good, and they can be placed on their mother’s breast immediately after birth. The reason for the lower first score is most often hypoxia, that is, oxygen deficiency during pregnancy and childbirth. A baby with signs of hypoxia will undergo some resuscitation procedures. Positive dynamics in the child’s condition, that is, an increase of several points by the fifth minute of life, allows us to hope for a favorable prognosis.

Sometimes parents believe that with a low Apgar score, the child will subsequently be developmentally delayed. In fact, in the first minutes of life it is impossible to make an accurate forecast of the child’s further development for months and years to come. An assessment on the Apgar scale is necessary in order to quickly determine whether the baby needs emergency help immediately after birth. A child with a low score may require further medical observation and treatment. However, modern research shows that in most cases these children grow up healthy and do not lag behind in development.

If the birth is successful, then the baby screams loudly after birth, declaring his desire to suckle at the breast. It must be said that some newborns crawl from their mother’s belly to the breast on their own, take it on the first try and immediately begin to actively suck. In other cases, the midwife or doctor places the baby on chest mothers are closer to the nipple, helping to grab the nipple. Sometimes you even have to put the nipple into the baby’s mouth and squeeze out a few drops of colostrum from the breast. To keep the baby from freezing, cover it with a warm diaper and leave it on the mother’s chest for 30 to 60 minutes. Then the neonatologist, a specialist in the health of newborn children, will conduct a more detailed examination of the baby. After examination and primary toileting of the newborn, feeding can be continued further.

Until very recently, one of the contraindications for early attachment of a child to the mother's breast was delivery by cesarean section. However, if the operation was performed under epidural anesthesia, the child will be placed to the breast for a short time directly in the operating room.

• Will an infection enter the baby's body through the umbilical wound?
• They say that they put medicine in a child's eyes - will this affect his vision?

Umbilical cord

1-2 minutes after the birth of a healthy baby, the midwife clamps and crosses the umbilical cord. This process is completely painless for both mother and baby, since the umbilical cord does not contain nerve endings or pain receptors. A plastic clamp is placed on the resulting umbilical cord approximately 1 cm from the baby’s tummy. The midwife cuts off the umbilical cord tissue above the clamp and wipes off the blood with a sterile napkin. The umbilical remnant is not covered with a bandage or diaper. In Russian maternity hospitals, the umbilical cord and the skin around it are treated daily with a skin antiseptic. In many developed countries The “dry” method is adopted, in which the umbilical cord remains are open to air and are not treated with antiseptics. The umbilical cord spontaneously dries out and falls off 5-15 days after birth. The baby is discharged from the maternity hospital regardless of whether his umbilical cord has fallen off or not. Upon early discharge from the maternity hospital on the third or fourth day after birth, infectious inflammation of the umbilical cord and umbilical wound almost never occurs.

Hygiene and legal procedures

The primary toilet of a healthy baby is carried out in the delivery room on a special heated table. The skin of a newborn baby is covered with vernix, which has protective properties. Therefore, vernix lubrication is not removed during the initial toilet in the birthing room. If necessary, blood or meconium (original feces) is carefully removed with a cotton swab moistened with warm water. For prevention infectious diseases Tetracycline or erythromycin ointment from individual packaging will be placed in the newborn's eyes. This procedure is painless and does not have a negative effect on the child’s vision.

You yourself are here in the maternity hospital, and with you your loved ones and distant relatives, friends, colleagues expect to learn about the most familiar and significant parameters - the child’s body length and weight. Weighing in modern maternity hospitals is carried out on special electronic scales. In the delivery room, the baby's body length, head and chest circumference will be measured.

There are still a few legal procedures left before you and your baby, or separately, leave the delivery room. Firstly, bracelets will be attached to the baby’s arms and diaper, on which the mother’s last name, first name and patronymic, the date and time of birth, as well as the birth history number, gender, weight, and body length of the baby at birth will be written. These bracelets remain on the baby's hands until discharge. Many mothers save them and put them in a photo album dedicated to the birth of the baby.

Secondly, the neonatologist will tell you about the results of the baby’s examination and the very first appointments. You will be asked to carefully read and sign the voluntary informed consent for or refusal of medical intervention for your newborn baby.

• When will I be able to be with my child all the time?
• I’m afraid that I won’t be able to cope with caring for my child. Will someone from the medical staff help me?

Currently, most maternity hospitals in our country operate in accordance with international standards and the provisions of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Declaration “Protection, support and promotion of breastfeeding: the special role of obstetric services” (1989). This means that after a successful birth, you and your baby will be under the supervision of specialists in the delivery room for about two hours, and then at the same time you will be admitted to the shared ward of the postpartum department.

Most likely, during pregnancy you have already prepared for the birth of a child at a school for expectant parents, organized at your antenatal clinic or at the regional children's clinic. But further, if you are a little confused when you find yourself in a room with a baby for the first time in your life, do not worry too much - the medical staff of the postpartum department will help you. The baby will be examined regularly by a neonatologist; do not hesitate to ask him questions about the child’s health and prescriptions.

In modern maternity hospitals, medical personnel are obliged to encourage breastfeeding on demand, help to properly attach the baby to the breast, and talk about methods of maintaining lactation. Large maternity hospitals and perinatal centers have specially trained nurse educators responsible for breastfeeding support.

Nurses in the neonatal department provide daily toilet care to children in shared wards. If necessary, they will teach you how to properly swaddle, wash and bathe your baby, care for his skin, eyes and umbilical cord, and put on disposable diapers.