New Mother and Baby Home Reference Guide

About Mother  |  About Baby  |  About Feeding  |  Warning Signals for Mother  |  Warning Signals for Baby  |  Emergency Phone Numbers

About Mother

• Bleeding: Should be similar to a heavy period for one to three days. If soaking more than one sanitary pad per hour or have large blood clots, call your health care provider.



• Pericare/Episiotomy/Hemorrhoids: Keep the perineum clean and wear cotton underwear. Use peribottle or spray bottle filled with warm water after using the toilet. Check for signs of infection.



• Uterus: Should feel hard and approximately the size of a grapefruit. Massage your uterus if it does not feel firm.



• Breasts: If you are planning to breastfeed, feed every one and a half to three hours around the clock to promote adequate milk supply. Don't skip feedings to sleep through the night.



• Nipples: Use only warm water on nipples (no soap or creams). If you are breastfeeding, some tenderness may occur, but sore nipples should not continue to be a problem if your baby is properly positioned.



• If you had a Caesarean: Check your incision site for any signs of infection, i.e., redness, discharge or foul odor.

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About Baby

• Wet Diapers/Stools:


• No wet diapers in a 24-hour period is a reason for concern; call your pediatric health care provider.



• Baby should have three wet diapers in 24 hours by the end of the third day.



• By the end of the fifth day, your baby's stools should change from black (meconium) to yellow.
• Fever: Normal axillary (under the arm) temperature is 36.5° to 37.5°C or 97.6° to 98.9°F.



• Jaundice: On day three, check your baby for jaundice. Press his or her nose with your finger and look for a yellow color when the skin blanches. Look for yellowing of the whites of the eyes. Milk feedings every one and a half to three hours (breast or bottle) and exposure to sunlight will help resolve the jaundice. Contact your health care provider if you note any yellow color.



• Cord Care: Watch for redness, drainage, foul odor.



• Crying: Crying is the baby's way of communicating.



• Sleeping Position: Position baby on his or her back. Avoid pillows or stuffed animals in the crib.

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About Feeding

Breastfeeding

• Latch-on: Breastfeeding should not be painful if the baby is properly positioned. Call (415) 600-BABY and speak to a Lactation Specialist for assistance.



• Frequency: Feed on demand, which is usually every one and a half to three hours (minimum of 8 times in 24 hours) around the clock for the first two to four weeks. Feedings should occur during both days and nights.



• How long should I nurse? Feed approximately 20 to 30 minutes on one side; break the suction; burp; and go to the other breast. Continue until the baby is satisfied.



• Taking the baby off the breast: Be sure to break the suction before removing the baby from the breast.



• How do I know if my baby's getting enough to eat? Adequate weight gain and the amount of wet and soiled diapers indicate baby is eating enough. See “Wet Diapers/Stool” above.

Bottle-feeding Formula

• Frequency: Feed every two to four hours.



• How much do I feed? Two to four ounces every two to four hours.

Burping

• Newborns need to be burped often:


• If breastfeeding: Between breasts and after nursing on second breast.



• If bottle-feeding: After every one half to one ounce.

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Warning Signals for Mother

Call your Obstetrical health care provider for any of these concerns:

• Bright red bleeding; soaking more than one sanitary pad per hour; large clots.



• Fever over 100.4° F or 38°C.



• Signs of infection from episiotomy or caesarean incision site.



• Area in calf or leg which is hot, painful, hard or red.



• Hot, hard, red and painful to touch area of breast.



• Severe abdominal pain.



• Persistent headache, possible spots in front of eyes, swelling.

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Warning Signals for Baby

Call your Pediatric health care provider for any of these concerns:

• Baby will not feed. (Missed two or more feedings.)



• No wet diapers for 24 hours.



• Stools are still black on the fifth day.



• Baby is excessively sleepy, lethargic, irritable or restless.



• Difficult breathing, flaring nostrils, wheezing, congestion.



• Fever (higher than 100.4°F).



• Umbilical cord is swollen, red, foul-smelling, or there is drainage.



• Frequent and excessive vomiting — projectile.



• Baby's skin is yellow.



• Circumcision site is swollen or bleeding.

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Emergency Phone Numbers

Obstetrical Health Care Provider, Pediatric Health Care Provider, Newborn Connections: (415) 600-BABY (2229) for breastfeeding questions, consultation, breast pumps and accessories.

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