What will the babys first day after birth look like?

You are about to reach the day of labor and are wondering what the first day of life will be like? The following article will help you answer this question.

After months of pregnancy and waiting, it's finally time to meet your baby. With many new couples having their first baby, they often don't know what the moment they are and what the first day after the baby is. To understand this issue, let's follow up with aFamilyToday Health to follow the shares below.

What will the new baby look like?

In your imagination, you can think that babies are all very healthy, but in fact many babies have small and wet bodies at birth. Your baby's head may seem a bit pointed because it has to pass through the cervix, but the shape is temporary and will round up in a few days. You may also be surprised to find that your baby's head is relatively large relative to the rest of the body.

The baby's limbs are slightly bent because they are bent while in the womb. After many months of development, the larger the baby's body becomes limited in the space of the mother's uterus, so the bent limbs are completely normal. Your baby's limbs will be straightened when squeezed often.

Pay a little attention to the baby's tiny feet and hands, you will see that the baby's nails are quite thin. With some other babies, nails grow relatively long. Baby's skin is one of the most recognizable looks. You should see red, pink, or purple spots on the first day of life.

Some newborn babies have white wax on their skin . This wax works to protect the baby's skin when it comes into contact with amniotic fluid in the mother's womb. This wax will be washed off after a few baths. In particular, for premature babies, the baby's skin still has a lot of soft hair that has developed since it was still in the womb. This undercoat usually disappears after about 1-2 weeks.

Tiny red spots or white spots usually appear on a baby's skin and usually go away after a few days or weeks after birth. The doctors will monitor the baby for 12-24 hours to make sure the red spots are not dangerous to the baby.

Your baby's appearance will change dramatically over the next few weeks as your baby develops. The limbs can be spread wider, the skin color can change and the streaks on the skin gradually disappear.

Some tests on baby's first day

The first day after birth, your baby will be assessed using the Apgar index to see the health status of the baby. This test shows your baby's reflexes and if there are any dangerous problems with the baby. Five factors were examined: heart rate, breathing rate, skin color, muscle activity and coordination, response to external stimuli.

Your child's index score will be calculated from 0-2 and then add the scores of those 5 indicators to determine Apgar's index. This index is assessed after a minute of birth and will be re-measured 5 minutes later. This simple test helps the doctor know if your baby needs breathing support. If a baby scores between 7 - 10, the baby is completely normal and does not need further testing. If your baby's score is lower then more tests are needed to check, for example, breathing on oxygen.

In addition, your baby also has to go through a number of other tests such as:

Clean your baby's nostrils with a straw

Measure height, weight and head circumference

Apply ointments or eye drops to avoid infection.

The medical staff will dry and wrap a towel around the baby. This process usually happens very quickly and once you know it, the babies are placed in your arms to create a special contact between you and your baby. After feeding your baby colostrum for the first time, usually after 10-30 minutes, your baby needs to do some extra procedures to check.

In some hospitals, while the mother is resting in the delivery room, her baby will be taken to bathe. Your baby will also be vaccinated against hepatitis B if you agree.

These screening procedures will vary from hospital to hospital. Your baby may have a blood test to check blood sugar. If the sugar level is too low or other problems are detected, your baby needs immediate care.

In addition, the baby is also screened blood test before discharge to see if he has phenylketonuria (a rare genetic disease that causes the loss of phenylalanine metabolic function), congenital hypothyroidism ... The detection and identification The early cause can help doctors diagnose early and recommend treatment regimens. Your doctor will also recommend that you have your baby undergo hearing screening before discharge to rule out any diseases that are likely to happen to your baby early.

For normal births, the average time in hospital is about 48 hours and for a caesarean delivery case is 96 hours.

Some baby's actions during the first day

Many parents are often surprised because they do not know what activity a baby has after birth. The first day after birth, your baby's eyes will be slightly open and she spends a lot of time looking at faces, especially parents. Your baby may also wiggle or react to your voice. Your baby can use all of his senses including smell and touch somewhere to identify and interact with you.

Babies may cry, sleep, or suddenly look you in the eye. Even though vision is limited, her eyes can still see something like your face within a distance of 20-40cm. Your baby can hold your finger if you put your finger in your baby's hand, and he or she can even suck your finger.

After a few moments of alertness, most babies fall asleep for the next 24 hours. However, every 2-3 hours, you should wake up your baby to get used to this schedule and let him nurse. For nursing mothers, this is the way to stimulate milk return.

Breastfeeding

If you decide to feed your baby, you can breastfeed as soon as your baby is in your arms. Although breastmilk may not come in enough in the first 1-2 days, especially mothers who give birth for the first time, babies will also receive nutrients from the colostrum .

Some women have small and pale colostrum while others are thick and yellow in color. When the baby is attached to the nipples, this action will stimulate hormones in the body to release milk. The act of breastfeeding the first time is almost a practice for both mother and baby.

Some babies (especially babies born prematurely and at a low weight) often have difficulty latching on to their breast or suck on breast milk. Nurses can help you with this problem. Initially, you should feed your baby every 2-3 hours. If you give your baby a bottle, you can also start feeding your baby a few hours after birth.

Your emotion

Having a baby is a big change in a person's life. If you are going through a lot of emotions, don't be too surprised. Your emotions can change suddenly and unforeseen. In addition, you will also have some physical changes. This is when you feel tired and lack of sleep.

Each person will have a different solution. Many people seem to forget all the difficulties and fatigue during childbirth as soon as they see their baby. However, many people experience sadness or, more seriously, experience postpartum depression .

If your spouse has problems after giving birth, you can seek the help of a nurse or medical professional. You can also call close friends and family members to talk about your baby.

Let loved ones see your baby on the first day. Grandparents or siblings will have a relationship with the baby right away. However, limit reception because parents and babies both need quiet time to rest. Besides, you should also limit visitors in the first weeks to avoid infecting the baby.

If your baby has a problem

If your baby has health problems, this will be a difficult time. Your doctor will give you the treatment options to choose from. If you have any concerns, talk directly to your doctor to get better understanding.

When your baby is born, you will begin a whole new phase. Take time to be with your baby and enjoy this new beginning.