First 24 Hours

Baby's first 24 hours

For both of you, the first day of your new baby’s life is exciting and draining. This article describes the senses that your infant can detect as well as how to care for the placenta and umbilical cord. If you had a healthy, full-term pregnancy (37 to 42 weeks gestation), it contains general information.

What will my newborn baby look like?

Your kid may have mottled, blue skin when they are born. Blood, amniotic fluid, and vernix, a corny white substance, are probably all over them. This is typical. About a minute after birth, when they begin to breathe, their skin will turn pink. For several hours, your baby’s hands and feet can still look blue.

The vernix and amniotic fluid are present since the fetus contained them. They are necessary for your newborn to be able to taste and smell.

Your kid feels more at ease and secure when they are not in your womb.

Birth of the placenta and cutting the umbilical cord

After your baby is born, you will experience more contractions, which will help deliver the placenta. The placenta’s umbilical cord will next be severed and clamped in two different places.

Skin-to-skin contact

Your newborn baby will be placed on your chest for skin-to-skin contact following a typical vaginal delivery. In addition to needing food and sleep, your baby also needs to feel your skin in order to feel safe and comfortable.

Doing this simple thing:

Minimizes baby cries
Promotes the onset and maintenance of breastfeeding
Aids in regulating your baby’s body temperature.

They will be measured, weighed, and watched to make sure they are healthy after this initial interaction.

Feeding

Approximately 50 minutes after delivery, babies often connect and suck at the breast, indicating that they are ready to eat soon after birth. After then, they might nurse for up to an hour. Your baby will most likely find your breast and begin to eat if you place them near your chest. If that doesn’t work, you can get assistance from a breastfeeding consultant or your midwife.

‘Colostrum’ is the name for the first milk you produce. Instead of being pure white, it is thick and frequently yellowish. It’s your baby’s perfect milk. Your baby’s stomach is around the size of a marble, therefore normally only a small amount is generated.

Try again a few hours later if they haven’t fed within an hour or so after delivery.

Weighing and measuring

Your midwife may offer to weigh your baby and take measurements of their length and head circumference after they have had skin-to-skin contact and their first feeding. It is not necessary to bathe your infant for at least 24 hours.

Vitamin K

In order to stop bleeding from a vitamin K shortage, your midwife will also offer to give your baby an injection of vitamin K during the weight-taking procedure.

Cord blood collection if you are Rh negative

In order to ascertain whether your baby’s blood group is compatible with yours, some blood will be extracted from the umbilical cord if you are Rh negative.

Sleeping

You will have your baby with you so that you can easily bond with them and provide their needs. After their first meal, which could last up to six hours, they’ll most likely fall asleep quickly. Most likely, the most of their first day in the world will be spent sleeping.

Apgar scores

The Apgar score is one of the primary postnatal observations. It evaluates how well your child has adapted to life outside the womb. When the infant is on your chest at one and five minutes following birth, the Apgar score is recorded. Occasionally, measurements are taken again 10 minutes following delivery.

It captures the color, reflexes, respiration, heart rate, and muscle tone of your infant. Ten is the highest possible score. If your infant receives a score of seven or higher, they are generally doing well. It is not a test of aptitude or intelligence, nor does it forecast the health of your child in the future.

What will my newborn baby see, hear, smell, taste and feel?

For the latter portion of your pregnancy, your unborn child has been exposed to your voice and will recognize it when you talk to them. If your partner has been conversing close to your child, you may recognize their voice as well. Hearing your voices will reassure your baby, and they can react by tilting their head in your direction. Also, your heartbeat will be audible to your unborn child just as it was to you.

Although your baby’s vision is blurry at birth, they can focus on your face from a distance of around 30 cm. The distance between your breast to your face is commonly referred to as the “cuddle distance.” Your infant will begin to associate what they see with what they hear.

The amniotic fluid and your colostrum will smell and taste the same to your baby.

Urine and meconium

Your infant will most likely pass meconium (newborn feces) and urine at least once in the first 24 hours. Meconium has a sticky, black color. Over the next few days, the colour and consistency of your baby’s poop will vary.

Nandhini – Pearl Hospital, a leading Muti speciality hospital in Velachery, Chennai, has been dedicated to women’s wellness for over 35 years, offering comprehensive gynaecological, fertility, cancer care, and specialty care treatments for women. Our team of expert obstetricians has safely delivered over 50,000 babies.

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