Baby’s temperature

The average stay in hospital is about three days, if there are no complications. Use the time to rest and gather as much information as possible. Alternatively, you may want to consider early discharge.

After the birth your body undergoes rapid physical and hormonal changes. Your caregivers will carefully check on your temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure during the first hours and days after the birth. They will monitor the amount and character of bleeding, the position of the fundus and uterus, and the functioning of your bladder and bowel.

Check your basic progressive exercise programme with your caregiver.

A general physical and gynaecological examination is advised 4–6 weeks after delivery to assess your recovery and the return of your body to its non-pregnant state.

Thrush is a fungal infection and can be found in your baby’s mouth, nappy area or under the chin. The fungus lives on the skin and usually causes no harm, but when conditions are favourable, it thrives and causes havoc.

A baby’s bowels usually work within the first 24 hours after birth. The first stool, meconium, is blackish-green and sticky, with no smell. The colour changes to yellowish-brown over the next few days. Green stools are not a problem unless the baby loses his appetite and develops a temperature with diarrhoea, or starts to vomit.

Getting enough sleep during the first months of your baby’s life means adjusting to your own new sleep habits and those of your baby. Here are a few things that might help with getting baby to sleep and to help you get sleep:

Parent-infant interaction

Interaction with your baby begins before she is born. You usually feel life at about 20 weeks into pregnancy as light, fluttering sensations.

Baby is growing and getting excited about, well, just about everything. Especially playtime and all the things hands can touch. Hands are so fascinating! He reaches out for things, although he often overshoots the mark.

First teeth! Consult your dentist about fluoride for your child’s teeth. Until a child learns to brush his teeth, the mother must clean them for him.

A Breastfeeding experience which is enjoyable and beneficial to both mom and baby depends on a relaxed, well-nourished mother who approaches this experience positively and with confidence. 

Apgar:
A system of evaluating a newborn’s physical condition by assigning a score (0,1, 2) to each of the following criteria:
heart rate; respiratory effort; muscle tone;response to stimuli; and skin colour.
The evaluation is performed at one minute and again at five minutes after birth.

He starts to roll over from his tummy onto his back.

Clinics and primary health services are freely available in most countries in Southern Africa. Locate your closest clinic and the telephone number from your local authority or hospital.

Many parents are surprised or even alarmed at the sight of their newborn. It is important to understand that the effects of birth are usually temporary and the baby’s looks improve rapidly. Common characteristics include:

Babies all have individual temperaments, which will affect their sleep patterns. Some are sleepy and others more alert and wakeful.

A new baby cries a great deal of the time. It is her only way of communicating. It is difficult at first to know why she cries, but your ability to interpret her cries will improve with time. There are many reasons why a baby cries. Concentrate on discovering and responding to her needs.