Monitor and take care of mothers and babies in the first 2 hours right after birth

This is an automatically translated article.

Monitoring and taking care of mothers and babies within the first 2 hours after birth plays a very important role, helping to ensure the safety of the birth and the "round and round mother", and at the same time, the care Postpartum care needs to follow the prescribed timelines right after birth and within the first 6 weeks after birth.

1. Why is it important to monitor and take care of mothers and babies right after birth?

For newborns, the first hours after birth are a big shock, so taking care of the first hours after birth plays a very important role. In Vietnam, in November 2014, "Professional Guidelines for Essential Care of Mothers and Newborns During and Immediately After Birth" of the Ministry of Health was issued and many Obstetrics - Pediatrics hospitals in The whole country has started to apply this method and received positive feedback.
For example, the "First Hug" campaign encouraging the practice of giving babies skin-to-skin contact with their mothers within the first 2 hours after birth has also attracted the attention of many people, especially those who are gave birth to a child.
Some scientific studies have also shown that births with a follow-up policy and postpartum care will reduce the risk of complications. According to statistics in the US in 2009, 32% of hospitals applied the policy of postpartum care for mothers and babies within the first 2 hours after cesarean section.
Postpartum care not only shows timely and timely care for mothers and babies, but also is a great way to help mother and baby recover soon after an arduous and emotional journey, help connect the sacred motherhood and encourage better breastfeeding.
For newborns, postpartum care will help stabilize heart rate, body temperature and blood sugar, reduce crying and stress, according to research, just put the baby in skin-to-skin contact with the mother for 20 minutes. It will also help reduce over 70% of cortisol levels in the baby's body.
Instinctively, the child's separation from the mother soon after birth will give rise to despair and protest, like all animals, the baby will cry and react violently, therefore, if the child is cared for, The first 2 hours after birth will be less fussy and less stressful.

2. Instructions for monitoring and taking care of mothers and babies in the first 2 hours after birth

Within the first 2 hours after birth, while the mother is still in the delivery room and both mother and child are normal, postnatal care can be carried out by allowing the baby to have skin-to-skin contact with the mother, and at the same time, the staff The health care provider will instruct the mother to breastfeed immediately, monitor her condition, uterine contractions, pulse, blood pressure and bleeding at every 15 minutes within the first 2 hours after birth.
Newborns need to be kept warm at room temperature from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius, if they can breathe well on their own, just put on a hat and cover both mother and child and then place the baby directly on the mother's chest , the medical staff will observe the baby's signs of wanting to feed such as opening the mouth, sucking, drooling or crawling, do not give the baby any other food or drink.
After the baby is breastfed, carry out routine care steps such as full body examination, umbilical cord care, whether the baby has umbilical bleeding, eye care, vitamin K injection, hepatitis B vaccine and BCG , and at the same time monitor muscle tone, breathing status, skin color, general condition, heart rate, digestion... every 20 minutes within the first 2 hours postpartum.
A particularly important note when monitoring and taking care of mothers and babies within the first 2 hours after birth is to ensure hygiene requirements, medical staff must wash their hands with soap and clean water before and after giving birth. After each care, care tools must be sterile, and utensils must not be shared between mothers and children.

Vinmec International General Hospital offers a Package Maternity Care Program for pregnant women right from the first months of pregnancy with a full range of antenatal check-ups, periodical 3D and 4D ultrasounds and other routine tests to ensure that the mother is healthy and the fetus is developing comprehensively.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.