2. 27-2
I. CARE OF MOTHER AFTER GIVING BIRTH
Pregnancy and childbirth can really take away a lot of a woman’s strength and leave her very
tired. In the first 6 weeks after birth, mothers need enough rest and good nutritious food. With
these she will be able to get back her strength and be able to care for her baby. She may need
special care if she falls ill. Some of the problems of mothers after they give birth to a child are
discussed so that we know how to support a new mother.
1. Food for the new mother: New mothers CAN and SHOULD eat
every kind of food that is nutritious and which they like. She need NOT
avoid any kind of food. These foods are especially good for the mother
and must be included in her diet:
Rice, daal, beef, lean pork, mutton, fish, milk, eggs, green leafy vegetables,
fruits, red/ yellow vegetables and fruits, soyabeans, groundnuts etc.
2. Cleanliness: Mothers can take a bath from the first day after giving
birth. They may use water that is lukewarm (not too hot nor too cold).
Regular bathing is good for the new mother but she should avoid bath-
ing in a river or stream as she can get infections.
3. Care of the breast: The thick yellow milk in the first two days called
colostrum is good for the baby. It has a lot of antibodies which keeps the
baby from getting sick. It is nature’s gift from the mother to the baby to
fight diseases. IT MUST NEVER BE THROWN AWAY. Give the child
colostrum.
Usually, if the mother has enough to eat and has nutritious food, she can
make any amount of milk that the child needs. If the child is given other
food or milk, it may stop sucking well and this makes the breasts pro-
duce lesser milk.
If the baby is ill and cannot suck well,
squeeze the milk out, or else it may get germs
4. Fever: The mother may feel feverish for a day or
two after giving birth. This is normal. But if tem-
perature continues to remain high and pulse rate is
also high (above 90 a minute), it could be childbirth
fever. This could be because some germs have en-
tered into the womb while giving birth (germs could
be from unclean hands of the birth attendant or unclean
clothes).
What to do in Childbirth Fever?
Signs of Childbirth Fever Clean the genital area with boiled water & soap. Ap-
Fever with chills ply warm compresses.
Low back pain
Headache Start AMOXYCILLIN 500 mg three times
Swelling of the belly daily. Childbirth fever can be serious. If
A foul smelling /bloody the mother does not improve soon, refer her
discharge from the vagina to a doctor.
3. 27-3
5. Breast Abscess
If breast is hot, swollen and painful, it may have an abscess (boil). STOP
feeding the child and throw the milk from that breast. Feed the baby only
from the healthy breast. Use hot compresses and you may give
PARACETAMOL tablets. Start AMOXYCILLIN.
Breasts get too full: At times the breasts produce
more milk than the baby can drink. At such times, the
breasts feel full and are painful. The mother can even
get infected. Ask the mother to empty the overflowing
breast by squeezing out the milk by hand.
Way to squeeze out excess milk
from the breast
II. CARE OF NEWBORN AFTER BIRTH
As soon as the baby is born:
Clean the mouth of the baby gently with
your finger.
Wipe baby’s skin dry with wet towel/
cloth. If cold weather, wrap the baby and give it to the mother. If
hot weather, better to keep the baby naked. Baby should be given
to the mother within a few minutes of birth.
Let the child suck at the mother’s breast. It helps start the
Put baby to breast milk and also prevents too much bleeding in the third stage
immediately of childbirth / delivery (when placenta & bag comes out).
after birth.
a. Care of Cord: Keep the cord dry and clean. If home is clean and there are no flies,
leave it open. If there are flies and dust, cover the baby’s belly with clean and sun-
dried (or ironed) cloth.
b. Eyes:
Clean eyes with clean cloth and boiled water (which
has been cooled).
If mother has infection of vagina, then clean the baby’s eyes
and put GENTAMICIN / CIPROFLOXACIN eye drops.
Otherwise the baby might get infection after a few days.
4. 27-5
c. Cleanliness of baby:
Keep baby without nappies or change nappies time and again to help its soft skin.
After cord falls off in a few days, bathe baby daily with warm water.
Use mosquito net for baby. Keep it away from smoke or dust.
d. Feeding: Breast feeding is best. It is better than any of the
powder, tin, packed or canned milk that we can get in the
market. Mother’s milk is warm, without germs and has
antibodies from the mother which can keep the baby from
falling sick.
A mother must eat
Important to Know 2 ½ times her nor-
For the first few days, the mother may not produce milk. THIS IS NOR- mal amount of
MAL. She needs to nurse her baby more often. Anything else given to the
food and also
child will satisfy the child and the child will not suck hard enough. This
could lead to mother giving less milk all through! DO NOT FEED
drink lots of fluid
a baby with ANYTHING except breast milk for at least 4 months. Not to make enough
even water must be given. milk for the baby.
What to do if a newborn is sick?
If the new born baby has:
a. Pus or bad small from the cut cord or na- c. Vomiting: Baby may vomit when
val : Clean the cord with boiled and cooled wa- she burps (brings out air). After feed-
ter and a clean cloth. You may crush ing we should help the baby bring up
open a capsule of AMOXYCILLIN and air. Teach the mother to hold the baby
sprinkle the powder on the site. Start against her shoulders with its head
AMOXYCILLIN Syrup three times a up and gently pat its back till the air
day.
comes out with a burp.
b. Difficulty in Breathing: Clean the nose as it d. Diarrhoea : Tell
may have something in it. Count the number of the mother to con-
breaths per minute. If the baby is breathing 50 or
tinue to breastfeed
more breaths a minute, has got blue and the skin
even if the baby has
between its ribs is sucked in when it breathes, then
it may be having pneumonia. Start diarrhoea. If the soft
AMOXYCILLIN and refer if necessary. spot is sunken, give
the baby plenty of fluids like ORS.
When to refer a newborn baby
Refer a new born if she:
Does not breathe as soon as she is born.
If her heart rate cannot be felt or heard or is less than 100 per minute.
If she does not move her arms or legs on her own when you pinch it.
If she has difficulty in breathing.
Is she is too white, yellow or blue after 5 minutes of beginning to
breathe.
Has not sucked the breast even after four hours of birth or stops
sucking after a few days.
If the baby vomits green / yellow or vomits violently, rush to a hospital!
5. 27-5
Know the Answers
Care of Mother &
Newborn after Birth
I. Please fill in the blanks:
1. A breast feeding mother must eat _____ times her normal diet.
2. Childbirth fever can be seen by the following signs:
a. _____________________
b. _____________________
c. _____________________
d. _____________________
e. _____________________
3. _____________________ antibiotic is safe in breastfeeding mothers and maybe
given for ____________ fevers and Abscess.
4. If the newborn baby’s breathing rate is faster than __________ per minute, she
may be having Pneumonia and must be started on Syrup
_____________________.
5. A newborn must be referred to a doctor if she has:
a. ___________________________
b. ___________________________
c. ___________________________
d. ___________________________
e. ___________________________
II. Please mark if “right” or “wrong”:
1. The mother must rest after labour and the baby must be
given to given to her only after 24 hours.
2. The newborn’s cord maybe left open after it is cut when
the baby is born.
3. In Summers, a newborn must be given at least one glass
of water every day or else it will get dehydrated.
4. If the baby brings out (vomits) its mother’s milk, it should
be given half a tablet of METOCLOPRAMIDE.
5. Meat, eggs, green leafy vegetables, fruits etc. in the diet
of a new mother bring out lots of milk.
6. 27-6 Children’s Growth Development (0-6 months)
ACTIVITY 1 month 2 month 3 month 4 month 5 month 6 month
2.5 to 3 kg 3.5 kg 6 kg
If child is lifted up, After 2 months, By the 5 th
LEARNING the head falls if child is pulled month, child is If held, child can
TO SIT behind; hold to sitting posi- sit up, but slips
able to pull up
head while lifting tion, she starts back if hands are
her head and
up. holding the left off.
chest with help.
hand.
LEARNING While lying on By 6 th month,
By 4 th month,
TO CRAWL belly, newborn At 2 months, the child learn to child is able to
lifts part between part between take support of support herself
waist and knees waist & knees be- arms. on her spread
above her legs come parallel to out arms.
and hands and ground; legs start
keep legs folded. opening up.
LEARNING
TO STAND
By 4 th month,
child can be
kept standing
by holding her
hands.
LEARNING
TO USE
HANDS
When newborn’s During 3 rd
hand is touched, month, baby Between 3 rd
she closes her fist. starts sucking and 4th month,
her closed fist. child is able to
hold some-
thing in her
hand.
These are normal stages of development in children. If any child is late
by one or two months in doing any of these activities, send to a doctor.
7. Children’s Growth Development (7-12 months) 27-7
ACTIVITY 7 month 8 month 9 month 10 month 11 month 12 month
LEARNING
In 9 th month, In 10th month, Child can turn By 1 year,
TO SIT From 7 to 10 In 8 th month,
child can bend head from one
months child child can sit child can sit for child can turn
10 minutes forward to pick side to another around all
can sit up while resting on
without fall- things up. while sitting. parts of body
without sup- soles.
port. ing. while sitting.
LEARNING
TO CRAWL
Child can
Child bends to Child starts
crawl with
crawl and tries crawling on
hands and
to drag her knees and
feet on the
body forward elbows.
ground.
by usisng
hands.
LEARNING
TO STAND
When sup- Can take sup- Starts walking
If child is made
port of some Child tries to If both hands while one hand
to stand with ported, child
furniture or wall move while are held, child is held; later
support, her legs can stand and
to stand for a holding on to can stand walks without
start bearing her her legs can
short time. furniture or straight. support.
weight. bear her
weight fully. wall.
LEARNING
TO USE
HANDS
Starts picking Learns to Learns to dig Starts picking
Starts picking Starts
up cup or glass clap. or scratch with up things
up something collecting
with both her finger. with thumb
or the other. small things.
hands. and finger.
These are normal stages of development in children. If any child is late
by one or two months in doing any of these activities, send to a doctor.
