Postnatal healthcare (PNHC) describes the healthcare assistance administered to both mother and her new born just between child birth and about 6 weeks of the baby’s life.

The past nine months have been incredible for you thanks to antenatal care and now the moment you have waiting for is finally here. A new phase begins called the postnatal period or postpartum, this period marks the beginning of a new healthcare journey for you and your new born. While antenatal care can continue for months before birth, postnatal care may last for a few weeks after birth

Postnatal healthcare aims to maintain to maintain the physical and psychological health of both mother and child by inspecting and recognizing any irregularities with regards to after birth recovery then evaluating and initiating therapeutic actions when required

Asides period of pregnancy, the postpartum period is a critical phase for both mother and child as most infant mortality occur within this period hence a great deal of healthcare precaution is to be taken in cognizance to the foreseen health risk factors.

The world health organization has since developed health guidelines based on available evidence from conducted research in the past few years and this guideline take into consideration the time, place and content of postnatal healthcare for mothers and newborn within the first 6 weeks after child birth.

Unlike developed countries where health facilities and health professionals are adequately equipped, the (WHO) guidelines are mostly tailored to health professionals who are authorized to provide postnatal services to women and newborns in communities where healthcare resources are inadequate.

These guidelines also play an important role in policy making and proper management of health clinics, child health schemes and learning institutions to establish and organize maternity care services

Postnatal healthcare is mostly directed to the newborn baby and less attention is paid to the mother unless for cases related to maternal complications. The regular postnatal healthcare services for newborn includes vaccination, weight monitoring and head circumference monitoring.

Postnatal nutrition

Ideally both mom and newborn need a balanced intake of variety of healthy foods and since new born babies need breast milk for about 6 months before they begin feeding from other food sources.

it is relatively important for new moms to consume foods rich in carbohydrate, protein, vitamins/minerals as it affects the quality of breast milk produced and also goes a long way to help you recover quickly from pregnancy hence, adequate nourishment for yourself and her newborn baby

Why postnatal healthcare?

The first 6 weeks after birth is a delicate period for both mother and child as they need all the care they can get from, postnatal counselling, nutrition, medication to hygiene tips. At this stage the baby’s immunity to disease is very weak and will need several types of vaccination to stand a chance to survive, the world health organization reports that most child mortality occurs during this crucial period.

Ideally postnatal care is best administered at the health clinic, however in cases where mobility is a concern it is recommended to book regular visits from a healthcare practitioner

Unhealthy signs in newborn babies

Difficulty in breathing, fever, feels cold, bleeding, lack of appetite to feed, yellow palms and soles of feet and diarrhoea.

Unhealthy postpartum signs in women

Fits, fast or difficult breathing, increase in vaginal bleeding, fever, excess fatigue, severe headaches with blurred vision, severe depression, and increased pain or infection in the perineum

Although this signs do not occur regularly in mothers and newborn babies, precautionary measures must be taken to avoid its occurrence. In case of an irregular situation as listed above, mothers or care givers should seek help from a professional health practitioner at the clinic as soon as possible

Antenatal healthcare promotion is a key factor in ensuring health sustainability for nursing moms, it is the most common practice viable to grooming healthy moms. It plays an important role in curbing the menace of child death before delivery and also strengthens maternal health chain.

Health clinics abduct basic antenatal care approach in providing the needed health care assistance for pregnant women, the world health organization (WHO) in its research recommends basic antenatal healthcare approach although being a modified version of the engrossed antenatal approach, the basic antenatal healthcare system was introduced by researchers upon realizing that the traditional antenatal healthcare program designated to developed countries were less implemented and less effective.

Hence, basic antenatal approach has become the deal breaker as it is termed the cornerstone for minimizing child mortality in many countries and is currently advocated as the recommended standard for antenatal care administered to pregnant women.

The introduction of basic antenatal healthcare approach creates a positive impact for pregnant women as this system has become so elementary in most clinics as this ensures the first antenatal care consultation takes place as soon as the doctor confirms evidence of pregnancy.

THE COMPREHENSIVE IMPORTANCE

The acronym (ANC) usually describes medical care procedures rendered to pregnant women from the inception of pregnancy to the point of child birth, it is efficient in detecting and resolving issues that may surface during gestation period. If this problems are left unresolved they can pose a health risk to both mother and the unborn child.

Antenatal health care during pregnancy may include diagnostic procedures, screening tests, prophylactic/preventive treatments, some of this processes are carried out on a routine bases while others require specific problems identified from diagnosis or some discovered risk factors. According to “patterson” antenatal healthcare offers benefits to both mother and unborn child as it facilitates proper diagnosis and also controls risk factors that would pose a health threat or negatively affect pregnancy outcomes.

ANTENATAL NUTRITIONAL FACTORS

The sought of food intake during pregnancy is essential to the nourishment of the unborn child, in other words the kind of food you eat contributes to the health of your unborn baby. So, nutrition experts recommend that a mother’s diet must include a wide range of healthy foods to enhance the development of the baby in the womb.

FOUR MOST NEEDED NUTRIENTS DURING PREGNANCY

CALCIUM: The structural development of your baby is essential and calcium plays a role in the development of bones. Although during pregnancy the mother’s body is engineered to source nutrients from within and provide them regularly to the baby via the placenta it is equally essential to consume foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. Food sources include: milk, , calcium-fortified juices and foods, and some leafy greens

IRON: Naturally during pregnancy your body utilizes iron in blood production for you and your unborn child, it also facilitates the flow of oxygen from the lungs to other parts of your body including your womb. A much reduced intake of iron during pregnancy can result to anemia which is caused by a condition of low amount of red blood cells.

In this case iron supplements will be recommended plus an increased intake of vitamin C which helps the absorption of iron in the body. Food sources include: Lean meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, iron-fortified cereal.

FOLIC ACID: Folic acid (folate) is a B vitamin which is one of the most important nutrients your baby needs for proper brain and spinal cord development, it prevents a neural tube defect in developing babies. The prescribed amount of folic acid to be taken during pregnancy is 600 micro grams per day. Food sources include: Breads and pastas, beans, citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, fortified or enriched cereals.

PROTEIN: During pregnancy, the various forms body of metabolism requires a lot of protein, dietitians recommend a high intake of protein as your baby needs it for proper growth and development. Food sources include: meat, poultry, spinach, dried beans and peas, eggs and nuts.

ANTENATAL MEDICATION AND COUNSELLING

Antenatal care provides a handful of information and recommendations for women and families with regards to safe child delivery, postnatal recovery, healthy pregnancy, newborn healthcare, breastfeeding, circumcision, family planning and assistance with future pregnancies. The healthcare system plays an important role in providing an effective antenatal healthcare package for pregnant women which may include laboratory support, medical screening, medications, consultations, adequate supplies and adequate referral services.

In conclusion, it is necessary for pregnant women to receive regular check ups as it ensures a better health maintenance for you and your baby. Doctors and midwives are in best position to offer this service, antenatal visits also affords you the opportunity to make inquires about challenges or irregularities you might encounter during pregnancy on a daily basis.

Imagine seeing through a baby’s eyes after birth, its an entirely new place compared to moms womb. The senses are unfamiliar with this new environment and will soon begin adapting to the new course of life, although a healthy new born has no vision impairment of any sought their eyesight is still delicate as it lacks accurate navigation and auto focus.

Process is everything for a new born, from learning how to move his hands and legs to sitting up, crawling, standing, walking, eating and talking, he will gradually master his ability to see things with precision and detail.

Fundamentally the human eye plays a crucial role in helping us understand and tune in to activities within our immediate environment, vision impairment in babies will eventually lead to a setback in development hence a need to pay attention to nutritional and physical factors as your new born grows older.

baby eyesight development: day one to 4 months

Within the first two months your new born will hardly smile as he/she is still trying to get accustomed to the new expanded world, they can only have a clear sight of your face when you are in a close up view not more than 8 – 10 inches away.

Basically newborns can behave differently, some have a natural tendency to gaze at your face after birth while a majority will rather have their eyes closed. In my opinion that is a mild display of extroversion and introversion traits.

As time goes on it becomes obvious that babies love looking at faces, they are unable to keep moving objects in focus but their instincts focuses on familiar faces, you should do well to maintain closer distance once your notice your baby steering

At the third month your baby will begin recognizing faces well, and a smile can pop up once in a while, at this age your baby’s eyes seldom picks up different hues and colors become apparent

At the fourth month your baby’s long sight begins to improve as he/she is able to track your movement as you walk around the room, holding objects in close proximity becomes easy for your baby

Lastly both eyes begin to work together, the retina begins to detect colour depth hence he gets clearer view of objects around him, you can experiment this by dangling a colourful toy in front of your baby, he will try to track the pendulum movement and make attempt to get a grip of the toy. It is now obvious that your baby’s eye and hand movement has gained some level of coordination

baby eyesight development: 5 to 8 months

At this age the brain undergoes exponential development causing improvement in key sense organs, your baby’s eyesight becomes keen as both eyes now work like binoculars to produce a 3D view of the surrounding with clarity and depth

Moving on to the next level , your baby is able to control his vision and motion to the point where he is able to sight objects, hold them and play them around, he also picks interest in shapes and patterns

At 8 months of age your baby’s coordination is fully enhanced as he can crawl and explore anything within his reach, his mind is quite curious and already picking things up mentally. It will be beneficial to introduce colorful objects, toys, solid text and some verbal illustrations from you

baby eyesight development: 9 to 12 months

Between 9 to 12 months of age your new born is well on the way to high level coordination, he makes attempt to stand while grasping firmly to a chair or support structure with his thumb and forefinger. They can hold objects while crawling and can fling them spontaneously.

Although visual impairment are rare in newborn, parents should be on a look out for vision problems. Here are a few medical signs that would require the intervention of a ophthalmologist

-Excess tears in baby’s eyes -Red eye lids -Constant eye turning -Excessive sensitivity to light -Development of a white pupil

Congrats on arrival of your new born baby, your hopes are high and the overwhelming feeling of joy fills your heart as you watch your new born open his eyes with the first cry. You have done a great job making your way through nine months of nursing and keeping tabs with healthcare precautions and dieting as a nursing mom.

Although it is quite common that the first few months can be a bumpy ride for first time parents, you might come across people who will give contradicting point of views with respect to providing healthcare for your new born and deciding which advice to abduct can be confusing, your new born deserves the best healthcare and it is your responsibility to get it right

HEALTHCARE ROUTINE FOR YOUR NEW BORN

A lot of activity comes into play with regards to baby care, let’s examine a few of them in the next section

(1) Holding your baby in position: The muscular make up of your baby’s neck is not yet strong enough to keep the head in proper position without an alternate support hence it is expedient to ensure you support your baby`s head and neck with your left or right hand depending on the side you breast feeding from.

It can take up to 3 months for your baby`s backbone to develop and become strong enough to support the weight of the neck and head on its own, so pending when your son’s body structure is capable enough you could consider supporting your baby’s neck in certain positions especially during breast feeding.

(2) Feeding Tactics: Feeding your new born with breast milk alone for the first 6 months is crucial to his overall development. According to medical research breast milk contains colostrum which has high concentration of nutrients and antibodies essential to the buildup, growth, protection and survival of your new born.

It is necessary to feed your baby promptly, feeding your new born should be every 2-3 hours daily, sometimes moms complain of experiencing pain in their nipples while breastfeeding this can be avoided when you hold your breast close to your baby’s lips and ensure he latches correctly while sucking.

After a while of breastfeeding your breast should feel less filled, this indicates enough milk is fed to your baby, so just in case breast milk is not available it is recommended that your baby gets 60ml – 90ml of doctor’s formula per feeding.

(3) Belching/Burping: Your baby needs to be burped right after being fed, while feeding, babies often take up air which causes colic in their stomach. So what burping does is it to extract the excess air from within the tummy, doing this prevents issues with digestion and spit ups

To burp your baby, please hold him closely to your chest with his chin well rested on your shoulder then pat his back with your other hand until you notice he has burped.

(4) Umbilical cord care : Taking good care of your baby’s umbilical cord is the first step to preventing umbilical hernia, a medical condition in which the intestine protrudes through the abdominal muscles at the belly button. Avoid bathing this area for the first 3 weeks as you maintain and keep it dry and clean, also look out for any symptom of infection like redness, swelling or discharge and report to a pediatrician as soon as possible.

(6) Bathing your baby: Your baby is ready for bathing once the umbilical cord stump dries and falls off, usually bathing your baby 2-3 times a week is ideal for a start. You will need baby bathing accessories like new diapers, baby towel, baby lotion, baby soap, and an infant bathtub half-filled with lukewarm water.

(5) Using diapers: Baby diapers should be changed frequently, it is expected that babies who get sufficient breast milk will need a change of diaper 6 – 8 times daily, changing diapers would require some accessories like diaper wipes, changing sheets, rash cream, and baby powders.

(6) Massaging and cuddling: Babies need a lot of massage and cuddles as it helps them sleep better and improve their health in general. While cuddling your baby ensure to maintain eye contact as this improves the bond between you and your baby

(7) Sleeping: Although babies have varying sleep cycles the ideal round up hours for a new born is about 14 – 16 hours daily, babies need a lot of sleep but in between hours they wake up if hungry or need a change of diaper. You might as well pay attention to the sleeping position of your to prevent inconvenience or pain. While your baby is asleep this is the right time to take care of yourself as well.

In conclusion, new moms can get overwhelmed about different aspects regarding their baby’s healthcare but not to worry you are not alone, the routine steps in this article will help you stay steadfast in this amazing journey of your life as a new mom

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!