What a mother needs to know in the first month of her baby’s life. What you need to know when going to the maternity hospital

For children
11.08.2019

The state of health and level of development of each baby by the month of life, of course, may vary.

This depends on many factors relating to the birth process itself, the course of pregnancy, and the child’s heredity.

You should understand that it is time for your baby new stage in his existence.

Now all systems and organs of the newborn are forced to function completely outside the mother’s body.


This means that after the moment of birth, the child begins to adapt to new conditions. Here he may face certain threats. In this regard, even in maternity hospital in the first 12 hours after birth, the baby is vaccinated against viral hepatitis, and after 3-7 days a vaccination against tuberculosis (BCG) is given.

These procedures should be taken seriously, since any vaccine is a great achievement of medicine, which is designed to protect the health of all humanity.

To study aspects child development in the first month of life You can approach it step by step.
After the birth itself, doctors assess the health and development of the baby. For the convenience of assessing many criteria simultaneously, the concept of the “Apgar Scale” (named after the anesthesiologist Virginia Apgar) was introduced back in 1952.

According to this method assessment of the newborn's condition, a digital scale is drawn up and a 2-point score is given for each of the criteria:

  1. The first minutes of a child's life.
  2. Newborn skin color.
  3. Pulse rate.
  4. Ability for facial movements.
  5. Physical activity (movement, muscle tone).
  6. Breathing, reflexes.

Each criterion is scored from 0 to 2 points twice: immediately after the baby is born, and then after 5 minutes. As a result, they receive a double score, which is entered into the card (for example, 8/9 or 8/8).

Briefly and accessible to parents, the result of the Apgar score can be commented on as follows:

  • 7-10 points – without any deviations in health status;
  • 5-6 points – there may be some minor problems;
  • 3-4 points – there are serious deviations;
  • 0-2 – threat to the life of the newborn.

First week of life

In the first week of life, all organs and vital systems of the baby adapt to new conditions and begin to function fully.

Your baby now needs to learn to obtain nutrients from food, breathe independently and adapt to external sound and light stimuli.

It is important to take into account heat exchange in the newborn’s body and avoid hypothermia or overheating. The optimal room temperature is considered to be t 22 C.

For young parents, and especially for the mother who is with her baby under medical supervision in the first days after birth, it is important to know about the main points associated with adaptation of the baby to the external environment:

  • skin covering.

    • Forced release of the baby's skin from vernix lubrication causes dryness skin and their redness (erythema). This once again confirms the need careful care for the baby using special oils or other cosmetics.

  • body mass.

    • In the first days of life, your baby may lose a little weight (100-200 g), as his body is just adapting to a new type of diet. The feeding schedule has not yet been fully established. In addition, there is a certain excess of fluid in the newborn’s body, the loss of which occurs in the first 3-5 days of life.

  • nutrition and sleep.

    • Nowadays, it is common to breastfeed a baby “on demand.” Usually the baby feeds every two to three hours around the clock. A baby's sleep takes about 18 hours a day and is interrupted only during feeding.

  • stool condition.

    • The norm for the first two days of a child’s life is the passage of meconium (original stool). These are the remains of cells and substances that the baby swallowed in the womb.

  • reflexes.

    • The main reflexes that neonatologists or pediatric neurologists pay attention to include: fear (bending the back and throwing arms and legs to the sides, screaming); sticking out of the toes when firmly brushed across the foot (Babinski reflex); step reflex and, of course, the sucking reflex.

  • specific questions.

    • Do not be alarmed if a newborn baby experiences swelling of the mammary glands or discharge from the genital opening (in girls). Perhaps this is influenced by the mother's hormones, which enter the baby's body through breast milk. Often in infants it is recorded physiological jaundice, which occurs when there is an increased level of bilirubin in the blood.

It is important for the mother to always remain informed in all the details and closely monitor the condition of the newborn.

Second week

Your baby is still continuing his adaptation. It has little protection from overheating or hypothermia. Monitor his body temperature carefully.

The second week of a baby’s life, as a rule, allows you to forget about neonatal jaundice, and the baby’s umbilical wound heals.

To a daily routine, which in the first week consisted of frequent alternating sleep and nutrition, minutes of wakefulness are added. In addition, feeding the baby itself becomes smoother.

It is important to pay attention to the baby's behavior, as he may be bothered by intestinal colic.

Consult your pediatrician about exercises with your baby on a fitball and in water (this helps reduce colic and also helps motor development)
Outdoor walks are beneficial for babies and young mothers

Baby's reflexes.
The sucking reflex helps the child to fully eat food. In addition, now your baby is able to focus his gaze on large objects and on your face.

The child reacts to sounds: sing melodious songs for him, smile and communicate with your baby, because children grow so quickly.

Third week

Remember that your baby is special and the most wonderful. Communicate and talk with your child, give him joy and care.

A child in the third week of life is already capable of a little hold the head lying on his tummy.

If you hold him on his back, he will grab your finger with his small fingers and try to get closer to you. He responds well to sounds and sights.

Breast-feeding gives your baby peace of mind and helps to form immunity baby.

To stimulate the lactation process, you should put the baby to the breast as often as possible.

Give the baby the opportunity to lie down without clothes while taking air baths. This is a kind of hardening procedure for a newborn

Fourth week

The fourth week of life completes a very important and significant stage.

It is until the 28th day of life that a baby can be called a newborn. What to pay attention to:

Physiology. The shape of the baby's head at this age may remain irregular, since the newborn experiences strong pressure as it passes through the birth canal.

The baby's movements are poorly coordinated. The baby's eyes are already fully formed, but his vision is still defective, so don't be alarmed if the baby squints or has trouble focusing his eyes.

Rational nutrition, which consists of establishing a clear regimen.

If your baby is breastfed and remains fussy after the next breastfeeding, you may need to supplement with formula.

Continue to take regular walks - this will help health promotion baby.

Monitor your baby's hygiene wisely: daily bathing with use herbal infusions, regular diaper changes, eye and nose care.

What can a child do per month?

The first month of your baby's life has flown by.

It seems that just recently he was kicking you from the inside.

The difficult moment of childbirth has not yet been fully experienced and forgotten, but your tiny child, little man, already needs you more than anyone else in the world.

One of the main and basic skills of a child at 1 month is the ability to feel his mother, respond to her voice, touch of hands and distinguish her smell.

A baby at this age already knows how to smile, he is able to distinguish colors, and concentrate on contrasting objects.

From a neurological point of view and motor development baby per month, one can note his ability to hold his head for several seconds while lying on his tummy.

You can also record his ability to arch his back and lift his butt. The baby responds well to sounds and can make something similar to humming.

From the first days a child already knows how to love and be loved, and this is so beautiful and natural.

Nutrition of a newborn in the first month

From the first second of birth, a newborn baby needs maternal care. Breast-feeding– this is one of the main factors that directly affects both physical and mental psychological condition child.

The question of what to feed a baby at 1 month is almost rhetorical. Exactly mother's milk gives the baby all the necessary microelements and nutrients, and also contributes to the formation of children's immunity.

An important aspect of breastfeeding is the mode of putting the baby to the breast and the psycho-emotional state of the mother.

Every woman should understand that she gives the best to her baby by breastfeeding him. During this period, you should carefully monitor your own nutrition and emotional state. It is important to get enough rest and sleep.

If for some reason the child does not receive breast milk, it is necessary to select an adapted milk formula. Here you should pay attention to individual characteristics child. When choosing a particular mixture, you need to consult your pediatrician.

Weight change

When studying this topic, it is important to understand that each child develops individually. There are general statistical data on the basis of which one can judge the relative rate of growth and development of the baby.

A baby's weight at the age of one month depends on many aspects, the most important of which are birth weight, gender, health status and type of nutrition.

The generally accepted indicator is weight gain in 800 grams by one month of the newborn's life.

The birth of a child is a very significant and great event. A huge number of questions arise regarding the care of a newborn, his condition and well-being.

A newborn baby is so vulnerable and defenseless that you are involuntarily afraid of harming him.

In addition to the instinctively arose feeling of love for your baby and the desire to protect him, young parents are required to have the minimum skills to care for an infant and be as informed as possible about everything related to the pace of its development, weight gain, proper feeding and other aspects of a newborn's life.

It is important to rely on specialist knowledge and experience previous generations. In any case, the level of education and reading of young parents directly affects the literacy of their actions and behavior.

Newborn baby 1 month: video

Pregnancy lasts a long time. For most women, it goes smoothly and calmly. All things have been done, everything is ready for the birth of the baby, books on child care have been read. And then the “X” moment came and the baby was born. And only at this moment does the mother begin to realize that what she read about, what her friends told her about is not so. It turns out the baby is very small, does not know how to latch on and constantly screams. That is why in this article I would like to talk about the main characteristics of children in the first two weeks of life, why they cry so loudly and how to live with it further.
So, immediately after birth, the mother expects the following:
1. In the first half hour (if the baby was born naturally) the newborn must be attached to the breast. Neither mother nor baby can do this, even if you trained on dolls, even if you know all this in theory. The situation is also aggravated physical state mothers after childbirth, when the whole body hurts and there is no way to sit or stand. Ask your nurse to help you. The situation will be resolved in a few hours, when both you and the baby understand what and how to do, and you yourself will find a feeding position that is comfortable for you.
2. Vaccinations. Be prepared for your baby to be vaccinated against tuberculosis in the first hours after birth. It is worth thinking about this in advance and knowing all the subtleties of the consequences. You must be aware of the procedure and sign the authorization first. Then, on the second or third day, a Hepatitis vaccine is given and blood is drawn from the toe.
3. Tears during childbirth can bring a lot of inconvenience to a young mother. Firstly, you will not be able to sit down for a week or two. Secondly, problems with the toilet often arise here. Tell your gynecologist about this. He will help solve your problem. The main thing is not to delay.
4. In the first two days, the newborn excretes feces dark green, which is called meconium. Don't be alarmed. As soon as your milk comes in and your baby drinks, the stool will turn yellow.
5. In newborn girls, mucus is secreted from the perineum in the first three days. white. Moreover, there can be a lot of mucus. Don't be afraid, this is a reaction to a new environment. In addition, girls may also have bleeding, which appear due to changes in hormonal levels.
6. Breast enlargement in newborns is quite common. This is the same result of hormonal changes in the baby’s body.
7. The mother has no milk in her breasts in the first two days. Because of this, the child may be nervous, since all supplies of “food” have already dried up, and there are no new ones yet. Be sure to inform your neonatologist about this. You can take medicine to stimulate breast milk production. When the milk will go, the baby will get drunk, he will calm down and fall asleep.
8. Problems with breasts and breast milk appear in all young mothers in the first days after childbirth. The breasts swell greatly and hurt (like during menstruation, only more). Check with your doctor if this is a concern for you. Put your baby to your breast more often. Modern doctors do not advise expressing milk, as the amount will increase with each expression. You can get stagnation of milk in the breast, and as a result, mastitis. After some time, the amount of milk required to feed your baby will become constant and you will not have any worries about it. However, those mothers who have problems with their breasts or milk production should ignore this advice and consult a breastfeeding specialist. Such specialists work at every maternity hospital or family planning center.
9. Jaundice of the newborn. When a baby is born, his skin often looks tanned. These are the first signs of newborn jaundice. Don't worry. The doctor will probably advise you to carry the baby to term. sunlight"sunbathe" Jaundice appears due to a change in the natural environment, due to a conflict between the Rh factors of mother and baby.
10. Rash. Often a rash appears on the newborn's body. It may be caused poor nutrition mother, allergies or elevated temperature in the ward. Use baby powder or cream. Clean your newborn more often.
11. Measuring body temperature in mother and newborn. At the maternity hospital, you will be forced to take your temperature three to four times a day. And this is a must. An increase in temperature in an infant signals an infection. Then you should contact a neonatologist for help. The mother may develop a fever due to the release of breast milk. Report any changes in your child's behavior and your concerns to your doctor. They will definitely help you
12. In the maternity hospital you will be forced to do fluorography of the lungs.
13. Don't forget about the documents for the child. Make sure that you are given a birth certificate for your child and that it is filled out correctly. If you gave birth in another city, then the next day after discharge you will need to take the documents for the child to the children's clinic and inform the pediatrician about the birth of the baby.
Well that's it and that's it useful tips. When you go to the maternity hospital, be prepared for the fact that your life will change. And definitely for the better. Now you will have more worries and joy. After all, children are the main happiness for a mother.

Joyful worries of the first weeks of life.

The birth of a baby is a joyful event. However, new parents have a lot to learn in order to care for a new family member. Olesya Sergeevna Pronina, neonatologist, head of the II physiological department for newborns at the Center for Family Planning and Reproduction, talks about what to pay attention to when caring for a newborn.

Olesya Sergeevna Pronina, neonatologist,
Head of the II physiological department for newborns
Family Planning and Reproduction Center

Why does a newborn baby cry? What could be the reasons?

All infants crying. And this is not always a signal for help. The cry of a newborn baby is a way to communicate with the world, because he does not yet know how to express his feelings and desires in another way. So he can tell you that he is hungry - and the cry will be demanding and prolonged. If the baby is uncomfortable in a diaper or clothes, or is tired of lying in one position, he will begin to whine, and then, if he does not react in time, he will start screaming. The child may be hot or cold, or uncomfortable lying in wet diaper. Or maybe the baby just wants to be held in your arms and chat with you. If you can't calm your baby down for a long time, it is worth showing the child to the doctor. Timely help A specialist will help you avoid health problems.

Which diapers are suitable for a baby?

Modern diapers are made of breathable, hypoallergenic materials that prevent irritation to the delicate skin of a newborn. In addition, thanks to the elastic sides, they do not squeeze the baby’s tummy and do not hinder his movements. Comfortable, practical and highly absorbent, diapers have become an integral part of a baby’s comfortable life.

Are there any special requirements for the room the child is in?

The temperature in the room should help maintain normal temperature child's body. Infants do not have well-developed thermoregulatory functions, so they are very sensitive to drastic changes temperature. For healthy child optimal temperature air temperature is 24 degrees, with it he feels great and sleeps well. Another important indicator- air humidity. This is especially true in winter when the heating is turned on. The most suitable air humidity is 60%, which can be achieved by installing containers of water in the room. And remember that you need to protect your baby from drafts, so take him out of the room while airing.

When can you start your first walks with your baby? How long should they last?

It is advisable to walk with your child every day. A few days after discharge from maternity hospital you can start going outside for 15-20 minutes, gradually increasing the walking time to 1.5-2 hours. In summer you can go out a couple of times a day; in winter it is recommended to walk at an air temperature of at least −10 degrees. In the cold season, so that the child does not have cold stress, you need to accustom him to low temperatures gradually. During a walk, you need to take into account that the mother walking with the baby is moving, and the child is lying motionless. Therefore, it is necessary to additionally insulate the baby.

How to protect your newborn baby from colds during the cold season?

After discharge from the maternity hospital, the mother should limit the baby’s communication with strangers. The desire of numerous relatives and friends to congratulate the family on the addition is understandable, but in the cold season, during the period of exacerbation of viral diseases, this is the most dangerous. Lactation - best protection from colds. Breast milk will help the baby cope with the illness, even if the mother or other family members are unwell.

Pampers Premium Care's incredibly thin, breathable diapers keep your little one comfortable in any situation with true 5 STAR protection. Revolutionary DryMax TM technology guarantees up to 12 hours

  • Development by week
  • Breast-feeding

    • In the first month after birth, the child undergoes adaptation to a new life outside the mother’s body. This is an important time for both the baby and his parents. Let's look at the main features of the baby's first month of life.


    To assess the dynamics of development, it is necessary to know the height and weight of the baby at birth

    Physiological changes

    Read about what a newborn looks like in another article. Significant changes occur in the baby’s body in the first weeks of life:

    • Postpartum swelling goes away.
    • The bones of the skull become stronger.
    • Certain features appear on the face.
    • Vision changes. Improves eye coordination and focus.
    • The digestive tract adapts to the new diet and is populated with beneficial microflora.
    • Hematopoiesis and blood circulation are rebuilt. The red blood cells carrying fetal hemoglobin are destroyed, and new red blood cells appear in their place.

    A child in the first month of life urinates quite frequently and occurs at least 6 times a day. At the same time, the urine excreted by the baby is almost transparent. A baby at the age of 1 month has bowel movements up to 12 times a day (usually immediately after feedings). His chair has yellow color and mushy consistency.


    The first month is very important in a baby’s life, so contact with strangers should be minimal

    Height and weight

    The weight and height of a newborn baby are affected by various factors, starting from heredity and ending with the health of the baby. To determine whether everything is okay with the baby, parents and doctors weigh the baby monthly and measure the length of his body.

    In addition to the baby’s body weight and length, the baby’s head circumference and circumference are also taken into account chest child.

    The indicators of newborn babies are as follows:

    How much weight does a baby gain in the first month?

    In the first month, the baby gains an average of 600 grams of weight. Note that normally, in the maternity hospital, the baby loses up to 10% of the weight with which it was born, but even before discharge it begins to gain weight back and after that only weight gain is considered normal. The baby's height increases by about 3 centimeters in the first month.


    The first weighing of the baby will take place in the maternity hospital immediately after birth.

    The indicators of babies at 1 month look like this:

    Reflexes

    The health of a newborn baby is always checked by the presence of reflexes that a baby should have. Many of these reflexes disappear over time, but their presence in the newborn is important feature baby's health.


    The presence of reflexes indicates proper development baby

    The following reflexes are determined in a newly born baby:

    1. Sucking. This is the main reflex that provides nutrition to the baby.
    2. Prehensile. When you touch your baby's palm with a finger or a toy, you will see how the baby reflexively grabs it.
    3. Search. When stroking or touching the cheek, the child turns his head.
    4. Swimming. When you place the baby on your tummy, you will see that the baby makes movements similar to swimming.
    5. Babinsky. If you run your finger along the baby's foot (along its outer edge), the foot rotates and the toes on it diverge.
    6. Walking. By supporting your baby's body so that his feet are touching a solid surface, you will notice how the baby begins to perform movements similar to walking.
    7. Mora. In case of sudden loud sound The baby will bring and spread his legs and arms.
    8. Babkina. Press the baby's palm and see how the baby opens his mouth and turns his head.

    Mode

    As such, a baby does not have a routine in the first month of life - the baby sleeps for several hours, then stays awake for up to 30-60 minutes, eats and falls asleep again. A certain daily routine, individual for each baby, is formed only in the second month of life, and during the newborn period the child does not care whether it is night or day.


    Newborn babies sleep an average of 18 hours a day

    For information about what needs to be done in the first weeks after the baby is born, see the TV show “Baby Boom.”

    Dream

    A newborn spends most of the day sleeping, while the baby’s sleep is represented by three phases:

    1. Deep sleep, during which the baby breathes calmly and deeply, and the baby's eyes are closed.
    2. Shallow sleep, during which the baby's breathing may be erratic, and the legs and arms may twitch, as well as the eyeballs covered by the eyelids.
    3. Drowsiness, which often occurs during feedings or when falling asleep. The baby's eyes are half-closed during this phase.

    During the waking period, the baby can either lie quietly or communicate its discomfort by crying.

    Nutrition

    The food that is considered ideal for a newborn baby is colostrum. This is the name given to the milk that comes from female breast immediately after birth and is extremely rich in substances beneficial for the baby. Breast milk is rightly called better nutrition for a child who has just been born, because he unique composition cannot reproduce even the most best manufacturers mixtures.

    It is recommended to feed a newborn baby on demand, putting the baby to the breast if the child is restless. At first there will be a lot of feedings, but as the baby grows, he will develop his own feeding pattern with pauses between feedings.

    In situations where breastfeeding is not possible, it is important to choose the right formula for your baby. To do this, you should consult with a pediatrician and take into account all the nuances so that nutrition does not harm the still immature digestive system newborn

    When breastfeeding, it is important to ensure that the baby grasps the nipple correctly - along with the nipple area. However, the baby will still swallow some of the air, so after feeding you need to help the baby release the air (burp).


    At natural childbirth Colostrum comes quickly, after the baby is born you will be able to breastfeed almost immediately

    Development

    A newborn baby can still do very little. During wakefulness, the baby moves its arms and legs chaotically, and the baby reacts to any irritant, be it a wet diaper or a feeling of hunger, by crying. When a child hears sharp sound, then freezes, blinks frequently and may cry.

    By the end of the first month of life, the baby can:

    • Smile in response to an adult’s speech.
    • Raise your head when lying on your stomach, holding it for up to five seconds.
    • Watch for stationary objects and the mother’s face, as well as moving large brightly colored objects.
    • Walk. The sounds made by a baby are similar to “gee”, “ha”, “gu”, so this kind of “conversation” of the baby is also called cooing.

    About what happens to a baby in the first month of his life, watch Larisa Sviridova’s video.

    What does a child need?

    • First of all, after birth, a baby needs tactile contact with the mother, so the child needs to be hugged, held, and stroked more often.
    • Smile at your baby more often, then the baby will quickly please you with a conscious smile.
    • In order for the child to develop better, talk to the baby during periods of wakefulness and often change the position of the baby - lay it on the tummy, turn it on its side, carry it vertically, supporting the head.
    • For better development hearing, you can not only talk to your baby with different intonation and timbre, but also turn on the baby classical music. Let your child listen to it for about ten minutes every day.
    • It is also important proper care little by little, which includes daily hygiene(washing, washing, cleaning eyes, nose, ears, combing, cutting nails), bathing, walks, massage, air baths.


     You also need to take care of clothes for a newborn in advance. It is unacceptable to use clothes made of rough fabrics with many fasteners, rivets and zippers. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the seams in clothes - they should not be rough, and ideally they should be on the outside. Currently, there are no problems with choosing clothes for babies.

    It is important to pay attention to how the child is dressed. Parents should always follow the rule of putting one more layer of clothing on their child than themselves. You can check if your child is hot or cold simple test– check the back of his head. If it is cold, the baby is frozen; if it is hot, or even more so sweaty, it is necessary to undress the baby.

    Caring for the umbilical wound

    In the maternity hospital, the umbilical cord is cared for by medical staff, but after discharge, in most cases, the umbilical wound does not have time to heal. Doctors advise using brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide and sterile cotton swabs when caring for your belly button. If you follow this advice, then there will be no problems in processing. Hydrogen peroxide is great for removing crusts, after which it is necessary to constantly treat it with brilliant green until the umbilical wound is completely dry. This procedure must be carried out 2 times a day.

    Until the umbilical wound has healed, it is necessary to use special diapers with a recess for the navel. This condition must be observed - this will help avoid unnecessary trauma. umbilical wound. If the navel does not heal within 2 weeks or redness or discharge appears at any time, you must urgently consult a specialist for help.

    Hygiene procedures

    After each diaper change, it is necessary to wash the baby. It would seem that, simple procedure, but even here there are difficulties and nuances. It is worth remembering that boys and girls are washed differently. When washing, it is better not to use soap, and if you decide to use it, it is better to choose a neutral one. The most convenient way to wash your baby is in the sink, and for your convenience, you need to place a special container for dirty diapers and a towel within your reach.

    When washing girls, the baby must be held upside down. When washing, you should be extremely delicate. When washing boys, everything is simpler - you can hold the child as comfortably as possible, but you cannot touch the child’s foreskin.

    How to wash a newborn?

    Use boiled water for washing room temperature and cotton pads. Moistened cotton balls it is necessary to carefully wipe each eye, and for each eye it is necessary to use a separate cotton pad. It is necessary to wipe the eyes from the outer edge to the inner. After washing, you need to dry your baby's face with a clean handkerchief.

    How to clean your spout?

    Before you begin directly cleaning your nose, you need to soften the crusts. To do this, use saline solution or saline solution, 1 drop in each nostril. After you have dripped the solution, you need to wait some time. Just during this time, the baby may sneeze, and the crusts may come out on their own. In order to remove the remaining crusts, you need to twist cotton wool. Cotton swabs use is strictly prohibited!
    Cotton pads must be slowly screwed into the nasal passage and then carefully removed. You cannot clean both nostrils at once or let go of the cotton wool - the baby can inhale it.

    How to clean your ears?

    Toddler ears are also treated with cotton swabs and pads. Do not allow water to get into the child's ear canal. When processing, it is necessary to treat not only the auricle, but also behind it. Desquamated epithelium often accumulates behind the ear, which contributes to the development of irritation.

    If there is excess wax in the ear canal, it can also be removed using cotton wool. However, you should not insert them too deeply, so as not to push the wax deeper or damage the delicate lining of the ear canal.

    Bathing the baby

    Before you start bathing your baby, it is necessary to create some conditions, so there should be no drafts in the room where the baby will bathe. The air temperature should be about 25º, but not lower than 21º. For bathing, you need to choose a time that is convenient not only for the parents, but also for the child. It is best to bathe your baby in the evening, when the baby is less active. Subsequent bathing is best done at the same time - this will help the baby adapt more easily.

    Hygiene items and products