Growth And Your New Born Baby

Growth is the process of increase in size or simply development from simple to complex.  It is the development from time of birth to the time of maturity, it involves the increase in cell size called cell enlargement followed by cell division and cell differentiation. Human body is in state of growth and development from the time of formation of zygote to adulthood.

            Humans has two state of rapid growth; infant growth beginning from birth to about three years and adolescent growth which begin from the age of 9-11 for girls and 12-14 for boys. During infant growth, babies triple their baby weight and increase their weight by 50% in the first year of an infant’s growth. s

Growth rate of an infant in the first and subsequent years can be studied by keeping the weight, length and size of the baby’s head. The best indicator of a baby’s health and wellbeing is growth. A baby that is growing progressively is all the way healthy while a baby with a ‘stunted’ growth is an indication of poor health.

 Babies come in size and weight, most newborn babies that has reached their full-term are mostly larger than  premature babies, babies born between thirty-seven to forty weeks  has weight around 2.5kg to 4kg.

 An infant that is heavier than the above is not necessary having any problem but should get the attention of a doctor while new baby who slightly weight less than the above is given average is not necessary not healthy. There are so many factors that determine the size of a baby , but the most important is the length of the pregnancy but other are the health of the mother, the  size of the couples,  gender, birth order and the mother’s nutrition during pregnancy.

            Huge parents tends to have larger kids than short parent, babies born as twins or triplets tends to be smaller and less weightier than single born babies as multiple babies compete for both space and food in the womb. First born babies tend to be smaller than the 2^nd or 3^rd in a multiple birth. A baby girl tends to be smaller than a baby boy. Also the health condition of the mother during pregnancy and birth can affect the health of the baby, for example, diabetic mothers, hypertensive mother or a women using hard drugs during pregnancy, all these will affect the size of the baby. A poorly nourished baby both during pregnancy and after childbirth can be smaller.

 Some babies are born before 37 to 40 weeks of pregnancy, they are called premature babies, and they tend to be smaller in size and less in weight than full-time baby. The time premature babies missed in the womb and the nourishment will greatly affect them, therefore they need to do this growth and nourishment in the outside world. This why preterm babies are giving special care.

 It did not mean that   bigger size babies are much healthier; in facts babies born heavier than the average weight need special attention.

Jaundice And Your Newborn Baby

Jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a baby’s skin and eye, it occur in a newborn baby because the baby’s blood contains an excess of  yellow pigment of red blood cells called bilirubin, it mostly occur in newborn babies born below the  thirty-eight months of pregnancy  and some breast fed babies.  It occurs because the newborn babies liver is not developed enough to get rid of the excess bilirubin in the infant blood sometimes diseases do cause jaundices. Bilirubin is normally produced by the breakdown of red blood cells, passes out through the liver and excreted as bile. 

Causes of jaundice in infant:

·         Newborn makes more bilirubin than adult because they have more turnovers of red blood cells than adult.

·          A  new baby is still developing its liver and cannot be able to remove the excess bilirubin

·          Large amount of it is reabsorbed by the baby in the intestine.

High level of bilirubin can cause deafness in the baby, cerebral palsy or other form of brain damage in the baby. , sometimes it indicate the presence of some less severe infections like thyroid problems, it is advisable that all new born babies should be investigated for jaundice few days after their delivery.

 Types of jaundice:

·         Breast milk jaundice: This type occurs in breastfed babies if their mom’s breast milk contains substances that can raise the level of the bilirubin, it occurs in 1-2% of breastfed babies. This effect can prevent the excretion of bilirubin through the intestines.

·         Physiological jaundice: it is the most common type of jaundice occurring in most newborn babies, it occur due to immaturity of the liver, which lead to the slow processing of the bilirubin,, it mostly appear from two to four days  and disappear after one or two weeks of birth.

·         Jaundice of prematurity:  this type occur in premature babies,, because the less ready to excrete bilirubin effectively,

·         Breastfeeding jaundice:  it occurs when a baby is not getting enough milk either because the baby is getting inadequate milk or the mother’s milk is not ready or some other breastfeeding difficulties.

·         RH problems: also known as blood group incompatibility, if the blood group of the mother is different from that of the newborn, the mother may produce antibodies that may destroy the infant’s red blood cells. This will eventually lead to a sudden build up of bilirubin within the body of the infant. This type of jaundice start immediately after birth and in the past, has been recorded to have caused the most severe type of jaundice, but now can be prevented by given an injection of Rh immune goblin to the mother within the 72 hour after delivery to prevent the mother from developing any antibodies that may affect her baby.

 How to know if your baby is having jaundice:

Jaundice begins after 1 or 2 days of birth and started from head and moves downwards, the face of a jaundiced baby will appear yellow, then the chest and the stomach and the legs. It can also cause the whites of an infant eye to appear yellow.

 Most hospital will discharge a new mother after 2 or 3 days, it is advisable to let the doctor check the newborn for jaundice before living the hospital.

 You should call your doctor when you notice any symptoms of jaundice in your baby especially when jaundice is noted 24hrs after delivery, when it is spreading or getting intense, your child’s body temperature rises above 37°C or when your child looks sick. When the color deepens or your baby not feeding well.

Preparing Yourself After Delivery

 After all the suffering you when through stating from pregnancy complication  to labor, your baby finally arrives, happy now but also tired and exhausted, uncomfortable and emotionally different. Childbirth help to prepare you for giving birth but you are not prepared for all of these.

 After you have delivered your baby, you will notice some physical and emotional changes.

Physical changes:

·         Sore breast: your breast may be sore as well as your nipples for the first time after childbirth as your milk come in.

·         Stomach constipation: you will experience some postpartum bowel movement for some few days.

·         Episiotomy:  the area near the vagina may experience some pain especially when caught during the childbirth.

·         Hot and cold body flashes: your body will react to the new hormone flowing through your body and this will disrupt your body temperature.

·         Hemorrhoids: swollen blood vessel in the rectum but frequently unexpected.

·         Fecal and urinary inconsistence:  the stretching of your muscles during childbirth may cause you to pass urine when you cough or   sneeze and you may not be able to control your bowel.

·         Vaginal discharge:  vaginal discharge occur initially heavier than your period and stop after several weeks

·         Weight:  your weight after giving birth will change after childbirth.

Emotional changes:

·         Baby’s blues: most new mom’s experience irritability, crying, sadness, for some days after postpartum, these changes are common and can be related to physical changes and emotional transition from a pregnant a woman to a mother.

·         Postpartum depression; this emotional change is very common among new mothers; about 10-20%of new mothers went through this. And may cause mood swing, guilt, persistent sadness and anxiety. And also it is most likely to be found among women with history of depression, multiple life stressors and a family history of depression.

 Your sexual relation will greatly be affected as you may not be ready for sex both physically and emotionally while your partner may be ready for it.  Doctors advises new mother to stay away from sex, for several weeks to allow healing to occur.

 It takes about nine month for your body to prepare for giving birth and your body will also require some time to regains its shape, weight and firmness. And if you undergo any cesarean section, it will take a longer time before your body heals.  Pain is greatest few days after the surgery and should decrease. Your doctor on what to and what not to do in order to aid healing and prevent other complications.

 Things to know:

·         Drink much water

·         Expert a vaginal discharge

·          Don’t drive

·         If the incision swollen call a doctor.

Birth control:

 It didn’t mean that you cannot be pregnant again immediately after childbirth,  stay away from sex, or use birth control measure to prevent another immediate  pregnancy, as this may affect both your health and that of your newborn baby.

Breastfeeding

 You need adequate sleeps, food and water to breastfeed optimally.

Playing with your baby

Playing with your baby

Playing is a voluntary and recreational activity normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment.  It promote and aids physical development such as hand to eye coordination, cognitive development and help in developing social skills.                                 

 Playing is a way through which a baby learn, is the best way babies learn to move, communicate, socialize and understand their environment. Newborn babies in their first month of birth learn from their mothers. Babies learn the sound of your voice and the feel of your touch for its comfort and to meet its needs. Mothers can influence the their babies learning speed by frequent play, like smiling, smoothing, humming and caressing

 Newborns are quick to learn especially in the first weeks of birth, they tend to recognize the face and voice of their mother, a new born baby love to look at it mom’s face, and are able to recognize her voice within the first week of his/her birth newborn baby responds to stimulus like sound within the environment by turning around and looking for where the sound is coming from.

 Newborn babies are born with reflex response to some stimuli such as touch and sound , when a baby’s cheek is touched it respond by turning it face and opening its mouth, it want to eat. No one tells it that, but these are made to ensure the baby’s survival.

  During the first  month of a baby’s life, it  sleeps a lot but after some few weeks to seems to sleep less and remain awake for a longer period of time, it is advisable for you as a mother to recognize when your baby  want to sleep or ready to play and learn., a baby that is awake  and playing  or fussy may not give its attention when you tend to play and it may begin to cry when you insist, these are some of the signs that your baby are over-stimulated.. A baby that awake but calm and quiet may be responsive and interested when you tend to play to it.

 By always touching and playing with your newborns will encourage it to learn, your baby learns by recognizing your voice, sight of your face and touch. It is recommended to introduce toys to your baby, this will aid its learning, toys like rattles, textured toys, unbreakable mirrors,, musicals toys etc., this toys help to improve the baby’s vision, visual toys with contrasting colors, different curves etc. 

  A new born baby cannot hold toys or play any game but get bored when left alone without any play when it is awake.  Babies need play but when they are alone and contended with themselves; don’t bother yourself, so that they don’t get over stimulated.  Give your newborn baby different things to look at or move its crib from one location to another so that t it see the different kind of environment within it.

 How to encourage your baby to learn:

·         Put a soothing music

·         Smile, stick out your tongue and make other things for your kid to learn

·         Try to  talk to your baby

How Babies Communicate

  How Babies Communicate

 Communication is the process of sharing information, the act of sharing information, it could be verbal or non verbal. Communication is only complete when the receiver understands the information.

 Your baby cannot use language to speak to you, they  can only cry to convey different message to you , a  baby’s cry may mean  empty stomach, wet diaper or  cold feet , tiredness or need  sleep  or they need some ‘’play’’. Your baby’s cry generally tell you that something is wrong, the kind of cry will determine what message actually your baby want to convey to you.  A cry for a hunger may be short and low-pitched while a cry for pain or being upset is may be choppy. You should be able to identify what message your baby is trying to make.

 Babies may cry when overwhelmed with sights or sounds, they can only respond to environmental stimuli like, too much noise, light, etc by crying. Your newborn baby can tell the difference between a sounds and human voice, try to pay attention to how baby responds to stimuli.

 Babies learn  from the world from their senses, as soon as you hold your baby after birth,  you exchanges information through the touch, sight and voices,  with time your baby will be accustomed to your voice, touch and sight , your baby may  be curious about noise but none will entice it more than the spoken voice, try to communicate to your  baby, even though it may not understand what you say, your voice, touches etc this will increase your bond and also help your little once learn more about the world. It is only through communication that you can meet the need of your little ones, too much attention cannot spoil your little one; always respond to your baby’s need as this will make them to feel more important. Sometimes your baby will keep on crying even though you have met all its needs, sometime they cry to for no reason therefore don’t be disturbed.

 Try to sooth your baby, either by rocking or walking back and forth across the room or by singing or humming to it.

  Get the attention of your doctor if your baby seems to cry for unusual reason and for longer period of crying. If the baby’s cry is for poor feeding, decreased activity, unusual breathing or movement. Your doctor should be able to tell what is wrong with your baby.  There are the possibilities that nothing is wrong with your baby and knowing this will help you relax when your baby is upset.

 Some common reasons for a baby’s prolonged crying

·          Your new one has an eye irritation; a foreign body may cause irritation of the eye.

·         Your baby may be ill, when it body temperature is high

·         The baby is in pain

Some common reason babies cry:

·         Hunger.

·         They need sleep.

·         They want to be held.

·         They feel too cool or too hot.

·         They are wet or dirty and need a diaper change.

·          They just feel like crying.

Feeding Your New Born Baby

 Feeding Your New Born Baby

 Breast feeding is the feeding of an infant with milk from human breast; it is the act of supplying the baby with its nutritional needs.  A new born baby should be breast feed immediately one hour after birth and this should continue exclusively for a period of six month after. The baby should be given breast milk only for the period of six month, then after other supplement can be added. This does not mean that the baby should be fed for only six month but it should be given breast milk only within this period. After which other supplement that is nutritionally adequate and also age appropriate can be introduced to the baby, a baby should be breast fed for two years as recommended by the World health organization.

  How often do you feed you feed your baby? It is recommended that you feed your baby on demand; when they feel hungry.  Your baby may prompt you by crying, making suckling noise or putting fingers into its mouth.

 You should feed your newborn baby for at least after every two to three hours allowing it to suck for at least ten minutes. If you are not breast feeding your baby should consume at least 2-3 ounces at each feeding. Some babies may need to be awakened after some few hours to be fed. Don’t leave your baby sleeping for long time without feeding it. Call the attention of your doctor if you need to frequently wake your baby before it eat.

 If you are a formula-feeding you can easily notice if your baby is not  eating enough but for breast feeding it is not easy. To know your baby is feeding to the required level is to notice if your baby is satisfied, produce about 5-7 wet diapers or stools, sleeping well and  adding weight , if so then your baby is feeding well.  You can also check that by noticing your breast level before and after breast feed.

 To breastfeed your baby follows the steps below:

·          You should start by placing your nipples between your baby’s nose and lower lip or you can easily brush her cheek with your breast, this will make it open it mouth in search of the breast.

·         When it is looking for the breast, pull her to the breast instead of bringing the breast toward her.

·          Your baby’s lip should be wide open around the breast ensure that your baby did not gain any pain.

·         As she is sucking hold her close

·          It may look uncomfortable for you and your baby but with time you will get used to it.

 As you are nursing your baby you need to eat a nutritional healthy food to supply you with enough nutrients for yourself and to ensure the quantity and quality of the milk you producing is optimum. Many moms feel extra hungry while breastfeeding.

 Breastfeeding cannot be without challenges like nipple pain, back pain, low milk supply and more, and consult your doctor occasionally.

sleeping and your newborn baby

 sleeping  and your newborn baby

 is the state of relaxation of the muscle and less perception of the environmental stimuli.  sleep is a naturally reoccurring  activities coupled with alteration to the consciousness, decreased response to stimuli  and inhibition of voluntary muscles activities. sleeping help to conserve energy and human beings may suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia, hypersomnia,  apnea, sleep walking, etc when  sleep starved.   

 new born babies sleeps a lot at least 16 hours a day and , newborn sleeps both during the day and the night, they sleep all the time and wake up after 2-3 hours  to feed because their little stomach doesn’t  hold  much breast to keep them strong.  and healthy , therefore they wake up any time of the day or night to eat.

  newborn babies may sleep for more than  fifteen hours a day walking after 2 or 3 hours to feed  babies that are breast fed tend to wake after two or three hour whereas bottled-fed babies use to take longer,  babies need food at these age more than sleeping,  therefore babies should wake up as to feed from time to time. after you  notice a weight gain , then you can allow it to sleep for a longer time. the first month of a baby’s life can be  can be challenging for a new mother, she need to get up many times in the night to feed her baby.  each baby has a different sleeping pattern as adult , some may be be sleeping through at the night for the first 2 months while others may not.

  for the first week of a baby’s birth some parent may sleep in the same bed with their infant , that is bed-sharing  while others may choose to room-share with their baby.  when you place your baby’s crib  in same room with you  ,  you easily get close to it, to hear smell or sense any change. this will help with baby’s feeding and sleep habits and new parent to  get the  much needed sleep. room-sharing is is safe while putting your baby to sleep with you in the same bed may not be safe , though it depend on your choice. room-sharing is preferred to bed-sharing because there is a risk that the baby may suffocate or strangle in bed-sharing .

 follow these procedures when putting your baby to sleep

·         start by placing your bay on its back not on the stomach or side to sleep.

·         use a firm crib mattress with  that fit it, ensure that your crib is up to standard.

·         all  toys, pillows blanket must be removed from the crib. ensure that nothing else is in the crib or bassinet  as these things may block the baby’s breathing.

·         put the crib or bassinet away from any other items, like hanging bags, wall pictures etc as these may fall on your baby

Circumcision and Umbilical Cord Care

Circumcision Care

Circumcision is the is the surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis, the removal of the foreskin to expose the tip of the penis.  circumcision is important to your baby as researches confirmed that it reduce the risk of  foreskin infections, urinary tract infections, penile cancer, STDs, and phimosis; a condition in uncircumcised  male that makes foreskin retraction impossible thus let not the fear o f pain, surgical risk or claimed penile damage prevent you from circumcising your new one .

 Circumcision is common to newborn male babies, as new mother of a male infant you have to know how to take care of your new baby’s wound.

 After the circumcision the tip of the penis is immediately covered with gauze coated with cream or petroleum jelly to keep the wound from drying and sticking to cloth or diaper. As the child nanny you should gently wipe the tip where the wound is, clean with water and apply the petroleum jelly to prevent the tip of the baby’s penis from sticking to the diaper every time you change the diaper. The wound should always be ‘’wet’’ and not dried as this could cause pain and injury to the baby. Therefore the petroleum jelly should be applied from time to time. The redness of the wound would only take not more than a few days or weeks to heel but if blisters occur and swelling increase   infections may be present and therefore you should consult your doctor’s attention.

Umbilical cord care

 Umbilical cord is the part of the placenta that connects the baby and its mother in the womb, it is the part for the nourishment of the baby in the womb, and it is usually painlessly cut-off after child birth leaving an umbilical stump.

 It is also important to take care of the umbilical cord in babies,  most doctors support swabbing the whole area with some alcohol  until the cord  get dried and fall off, it can take about three weeks or a month though it may vary while other doctors  prefer leaving it to heel on its own. Consult your doctor to know which one he prefers.   Sponge bath your infant until the umbilical cord falls off and the navel area heels before submerging your baby’s navel area in water. The umbilical cord must remain clean and dry, the diaper should be fold away from it  so that it is exposed to air and will not  get contact with urine. When the cord falls and the navel area heels it will change from red to black or brown.

When the redness persist or when odour or discharge occur get the attention of your child doctor.

Signs to know when there is an infection in the umbilical cord:

Infections are not common but consult your doctor when you notice the following signs:

·         The skin around the base of the code is red

·         When your baby cries when you touch it

·         The stump smell foul or yellowish discharges occur.

how to bath your newborn baby

Bathing Your New Born Baby

 Bathing is the washing of body with fluid or water, is the cleaning of the body and removing dirt and germs from the body. Bathing is part of cleanliness as it pays a major role in maintaining a better health. It removes germs and other microbes that are dangerous to body.   Infants’ body is more delicate and has a low immune system than adult boy; it always has to be clean to free your baby from germs and bacteria’s and to give it a fresh circulation within the body.

            Bathing a newborn baby can be of two types the sponge bath and the bath tub.  A newborn baby should be given a sponge bath [aka dry cleaning] until:

§  The umbilical code heels and the navels heels and this can take about a month.

§  The circumcision wound heels

 Bathing a time can done twice a day or thrice  a day for a new born baby is ok, so as to keep the skin from drying out but this can be increased later after a year.

Before bathing your newborn baby get these items ready:

§    Baby soap, never use a medicated soap on your new born baby.

§   A towel or blanket.

§   A clean cloth

§   A clean diaper

§    A baby sponge or soft clean cloth.

 For sponge bath : use a warm water for bathing a newborn baby, select a safe place, ensure no much breeze  is blowing across,  fill your bowl with the warm water and not hot. Remove its cloth, wipe the whole body starting from eyes, nose, and ear to toes and genitals with the mild sponge, and use the clean cloth or cotton wool to wipe the two eyes, nose, change the cotton wool when it got stained. Apply little soap to the sponge and wipe the whole body again, after these. Take clean cloth, wet it and wipe out all the soap. Use the towel to wrap your baby. Ensure you clean areas like armpits; genitals; ear etc and they are dry and apply a diaper.

Tub bath:   a newborn baby should only be giving a tub bath when it is ready. Tub bath should only be given to a child when the umbilical cord heels as well as the circumcision wound also, a mother can switch back to the sponge bath when she notice some change in the baby. For a tub bath an infant tub should be added in addition to the aforementioned items in sponge bath.

  The mother should measure the temperature of the bath water; this can easily be done by inserting your hand into the warm water.

 Undress your baby and put it in the bath tub, ensure that the water did not cover the whole baby, at most 3-4 inches deep. Use one of your hands to support it head and the other to bath it. Use clean cloths, wash the face, and head. Be pouring water throughout the bath so that your baby does not get cold. After the bath wrap your baby in the towel and ensure that you cover the head.

 Throughout the bath don’t leave your baby alone inside the bath tub, if you must leave the bathroom carry him or her with you.

steps to take after birth

Parenting is the process of taking care of a child from birth to adulthood.  The act of being a mother or father to someone. Parenting also called child rearing has to do with supporting and promoting the physical, emotional, social and financial wellbeing of a child.

 Parenting started from infancy, after nine month of pregnancy, delivery, labor and now you are a mother. There are things you need to keep through in order to give your child the desired love and caring it deserved.

 These tips can help first couple who are novice in child caring.

Asking for help from health expert:

As a new mother you need to consult past mothers, nurses, specialists, lactations consultant who can help you to get started. As a new mother, your body is not the same as that of your child, infant are weak and gullible, you have to know how to, hold, touch, burp and care for your new baby.

 At home you can hire a nanny or a young maid to help you for other errand jobs within your home. You need time for yourself to rest and your new born baby. You know just after birth you are as weak as your baby. This is why post natal care is of great important to both mother and infant.

 Feel free to consult other people, your relatives, neighbors can be of a great help to you especially if you are a new mother.

Handling the new born baby:

Infants are weak and fragile, their body and skin are very sensitive, and so here is what you should keep in mind before handling your infant.

·         Your hand must be clean or use hand sanitizers before touching your baby, infants has low immune system, therefore ensure that your hands or anyone who touches your baby is clean. This should include their clothing’s etc

·         Supporting your baby’s neck; be careful when doing so, hold the whole body, cradle the head and support the head when carrying the baby or laying it on the bed.

·          No shaking of babies or any vigorous play as their bodies and system is weak.

 Bonding and soothing techniques:

 Bonding is pleasurable   especially in the morning or down in the evening or after child bathing.  Bonding reconnect parent to their infant ant these make it a pleasure.  Bonding brings emotional response and closeness to   your baby just as cuddling dose in adult.

 in babies ,it brings about emotional growth and these also contribute to physical growth, as you know a not only in infant even  kids that lack affection[ love and bonding affection ]  looks malnourished and stunted , same also applies to infants. This is why child massage is advocated.

 What you need to know here is that infant are not strong, therefore be gentle and careful. Infant also love sounds, such as talking, singing, and babbling.  Babies love music also, babies rattles and music mobiles are great ways to stimulate your babies. When your little one is crying try singing. Some babies react to noise, light etc, if this case with your baby keep away light and noise from them or keep it moderate.

Diapering Dos and Don’ts

 You can use diapers or cloth depending on your income, no matter which you use your baby will dirty more than 6 diapers in a day therefore you have to budget for this.  Before putting the diaper on your baby ensure you follow these procedures:

·         It must be clean

·         A fasteners

·         Diaper ointment in case of rash on the baby

·          a warm water container

·         Diapers wipes or cotton balls

When the diaper is wet remove it gently and use the cotton balls or diaper wipes to clean your baby’s genitals and anus starting from  front to back  to affect infections. And reapply the diaper ointment before putting another one.  Each time ensure you baby is dry. Wash your hands clean anytime you change a diaper.