New Parents
Katharine was very concerned that she might develop eclampsia during labour, which can lead to convulsions or seizures. In fact, as I explained to her, this is a rare condition that is unlikely to occur when pre-eclampsia has been diagnosed. [...]
Newborn Measurements
Your baby’s weight, head circumference, and length will be measured to give an indication of her maturity and development. These measurements can be used as a baseline for her future development if necessary. Although routine measurements [...]
Father and Newborn
Because the experience of childbirth is so focused on the mother, it is common for the father to feel neglected or excluded. It is important for father and baby to bond, too: touch, smell, and sound are good ways to do this. If at all possible, [...]
Suckling
For the first three days after your baby’s birth, your breasts produce not milk, but colostrum, a thin, yellow fluid that contains water, protein, sugar, vitamins, minerals, and antibodies for protection against infectious diseases. During [...]
Newborn Breathing
After an initial outburst of crying, you may not be able to hear anything more from your newborn baby because it can be difficult to hear a newborn’s light breathing. In same cases a baby may even stop breathing entirely for a few seconds, [...]
Handling Newborn
The need for physical contact throughout childhood is well documented, and this is especially true of the first weeks of life. The majority of newborns spend much of their time asleep, so it is important that you are there to to hold your [...]
Your Newborn
Whatever you had expected – bigger, smaller, quieter, less slippery – your newborn baby will surprise and delight you. Experienced parents discern a personality at birth, but first-time parents may think their newborns are insensitive [...]