Pregnancy, Labour, Birth & 1st Week of Breastfeeding
Course Objectives:
- Participants will be able to describe several maternal complications associated with pregnancy, labour, birth & 1st week postpartum and how these complications may impact on breastfeeding.
- Participants will be able to describe a birth plan that will enhance early first contact and encourage mother baby friendly practices.
- Participants will be able to describe how early attachment and skin-to-skin play a role in breastfeeding.
- Participants will be able to describe several baby complications associated with pregnancy, labour, birth & 1st week postpartum and how these complications may impact on breastfeeding.
- Participants will be able to describe management for mother and baby to protect and maintain breastfeeding.
- Participants will be able to describe normal breastfeeding behaviour in the 1st week postpartum.
Course Outline: 4 ¼ hours breaks not included
1. Maternal Complications (60 min)
- Gestational Diabetes, Preterm labour, PROM, Pre/Eclampsia,
- C/S, Retained placenta, DVT, Sheehan’s syndrome
- Episiotomy, Forceps delivery, Vacuum extraction
- Infection – prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum
- Side effects of labour medications on mother and baby
- Sore nipples, cracks, fissures, infection, thrush
- Engorgement, blocked ducts, mastitis, abscess
- Maternal fatigue
2. Mother and Baby issues and complications (60 min)
- Birth trauma – physical and emotional damage
- 1st attachment – Importance of amniotic fluid odor and skin-to-skin contact
- Non latching baby
- Sleepy baby
- Hypoglycemia
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Ankylogossia – tongue tie
- Congenital abnormalities – Down’s syndrome, cleft lip/palate, Pierre Robin syndrome
- Weight loss issues
3. Management to protect and maintain breastfeeding (60 min)
- Mother and baby friendly birth and breastfeeding plan – positive support
- Early 1st attachment, STS, no mother baby separation unless medically necessary
- Delay routine practices such as eye treatment, bathing, Vit K injection until after 1st contact
- Assessment of the baby breastfeeding – at the breast verses breastfeeding (transfer of milk)
- How to know baby is getting milk.
- Coordinated suck verses uncoordinated suck
- Understand the changes that occur in the mothers’ breasts, nipples, and uterus during the first 3 days postpartum.
- Normal baby’s feeding behavior in the first 3 days of life
- When to start interventions if baby not breastfeeding or unable to breastfeed
- What interventions to use
4. Normal breastfeeding behaviour in the 1st week postpartum (70 min)
- Baby’s feeding behavior and state of alertness during the first week of breastfeeding
- Sleep cycles
- Suck , swallow, breath
- Baby’s urine and stool patterns and behavior during the first week of breastfeeding
- How the mother of a newborn can tell if her baby is getting enough milk during the first week of breastfeeding
- Normal progress and management of breastfeeding during the first week of life.
- List the major signs that indicate the baby is not getting enough breastmilk and that should indicate to the mother that she needs further help (How to know when to refer)
5. Question period. (5 min)
- Answer any questions related to class & What to prepare for next class
Total 4 ¼ hours