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Going Home Basics
Going Home BasicsHello, I’m Xanthe Tilden. If you’re watching our program, you’re probably a new mother. Congratulations! Withyour labor and baby’s birth behind you, you’re almost ready for the excitement of going home. Today we’regoing to help you prepare for that next step.I’m a new mom myself. My son, Max, two months old. Before we went home, I felt nervous and anxious. And Iknow I’m not alone. But being prepared can help make the experience less overwhelming. If you’re already amom keep in mind each baby is different and reminders never hurt.In this program we’ll give you information and advice that will make your transition home easier and help youfully enjoy those precious early days with your new baby.For starters, have a support network. People you trust to help you. Those first weeks at home are going to bebusy, so use your network to help with things like running errands and household chores.“You go do the dishes, you go sweep the floor, you vacuum, make dinner, you do the laundry. Anythingyou can do to help is a big help to her.”Chris foreman is a first-time dad who speaks from experience – son Jack is now 7 months old.“Well Chris made breast feeding so much easier for me just because he was my support. He was myrock.”“Dads play a really important role in taking care of newborns even though they may not realize it at first.Their primary job is to really to be supportive of mom, whether that’s helping out with just basicchildcare or really, they can provide major care in terms of taking care of the house.”“Now, babies don’t have very much support in their head so whenever you’re holding the baby youalways want to make sure that your hand is underneath the head.”Caring for a newborn can be intimidating – especially for first time dads. But it’s important for them to bond withbaby too.“I was nervous, I was nervous holding Jack for the first time. His head was just flopping around you’relike ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going to break him,’ something is going to go wrong.”“Dads especially may be afraid of a newborn baby, and with practice they will achieve a wonderful levelof comfort and develop a nice lifelong relationship with their child.”Whether your support comes from dad, grandparents, other relatives, or friends, be clear what kind of help youneed while you care for the baby. If you’re a single parent, this is especially important. When those around youask if they can help, take them up on their offer. Most babies will remain perfectly healthy once they’redischarged but sometimes you may have questions or concerns. So, you need to know whom to call – day ornight.“Make sure you have your pediatrician’s phone number handy in case you have a question. Also findout what the plan is for afterhours questions if you need to talk to a doctor or a nurse and the office isclosed. Finally, find out what hospital your pediatrician likes to use in case there’s an emergency.”Call right away if you see any of these signs: Your newborn’s breathing is faster or irregular; Unusual blue ordark color in the face or lips; An abnormal temperature, meaning one that’s below 97 or 100.4 degreesThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG56195B EN GoingHomeBasics.docx© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 3Going Home BasicsFahrenheit higher on a rectal thermometer; Signs of dehydration – that is, fewer than 3 to 4 wet diapers in 24hours; A belly button or circumcision that looks infected; Jaundice, or yellow skin, that doesn’t decrease by the5th day; Or excessive crying and sluggishness.Be sure to have your doctor’s number on hand as well in case you have concerns about your own health –even if it’s in the middle of the night.“Hey how you doing.”“Good and how are you?”“Good.”To get your baby off to a healthy start, set up a well-child visit with your pediatrician for 2 to 5 days aftercoming home. This is a must!“It does pinpoint problems early and in pediatrics we truly believe that if you can pinpoint a problem andintervene, you can actually have a better outcome.”The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends well child visits at 1 month, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 monthsold.It’s also important to take care of yourself and your health as a new mom. Make an appointment with yourOB/GYN for 4 to 6 weeks after your delivery for a postpartum examination. A visit within 7 to 14 days ofdelivery may be advised if you had a cesarean delivery or complicated pregnancy.“During a postpartum exam we will evaluate how a woman is doing in regard to her emotional state, ifshe’s getting any sleep after having the baby, how she’s feeling regarding the child and bondingexperiences. We’ll also do a physical exam, which involves a breast exam. Feeling the uterus andmaking sure it’s gone back down to normal size.”It’s important for breastfeeding moms to check with their doctor before taking any medication. The good newsis many medications are safe to use while nursing. If you or your baby is having difficulty with breastfeeding oryou’re concerned whether your baby is eating enough, get in touch with your hospital lactation center or askyour doctor for a referral.Before you and your baby can be discharged from the hospital your child will be given a number of screeningtests to detect various medical conditions. The March of Dimes recommends all newborns be screened for atleast 31 conditions.The exact tests will vary by state, but all states require a blood test using a simple heel prick to look for geneticand other conditions, as well as a hearing test. Also, most states now require pulse oximetry, a test measuringoxygen in the blood that can pick up heart problems in your baby. Some states also require a secondscreening when the baby is 10 to 14 days old to be sure that the results are accurate.“Newborn screening is an important component of initial baby care and what it really helps identify iswhether there are any preexisting risk factors in the baby that could potentially cause problems as thebaby’s growing that we would want to know sooner rather than later in order to be able to intervene andcorrect those problems.”This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG56195B EN GoingHomeBasics.docx© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 3Going Home BasicsBabies come into the world vulnerable to infectious diseases. That’s why it’s so important for them to getimmunizations.“Babies are challenged every day with hundreds if not thousands of germs or foreign objects that theirimmune system has to fight off.”All babies should get a vaccine against hepatitis b before leaving the hospital. As a new mom, Maria Urestiknows it’s up to her to be sure her son Jose gets the tests and vaccines he needs.“I did ask a lot of questions while he was in the hospital making sure that everything was for hiswellbeing and I knew that with the vaccinations it would help him get better and not get sick.”By the time children reach their 2nd birthday, they’ll have been vaccinated against 14 preventable diseases.Keeping up with the vaccine schedule is another reason for you to make those well-child visits with yourpediatrician.Billing procedures vary from hospital to hospital – so you may want to work with the staff to help youunderstand the billing for baby’s delivery and your hospital stay.It’s likely that you’ll receive bills from both the hospital and your doctor. The type of insurance you have willdetermine what you have to pay out of pocket. And, if you haven’t already, touch base with your insurancecompany to have your baby added to your policy or apply for insurance for your baby.If you’re unable to pay the medical bills from your delivery, talk to the hospital about your options.While we’re on the subject of paperwork, here’s a document that’s crucial: Your child’s birth certificate. This ismy child’s. While you’re in the hospital you’ll get paperwork to fill out for your baby’s birth certificate. It requiresthat parents provide their Social Security numbers. As part of the process, many states also allow you to applyfor a Social Security card for your child.The time will eventually come to use these documents for our children to enroll in school, get a driver’s license,or perhaps a marriage license. Seems hard to imagine now!This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG56195B EN GoingHomeBasics.docx© The Wellness NetworkPage 3 of 3
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