What to do for the mother
Watch the mother’s feelings about her baby
Mother is not interested in her baby
Some mothers do not feel good about their
new babies. There can be many reasons
for this. The mother may be very tired, or
she may be ill or bleeding. She may not
have wanted a baby, or may be worried
that she cannot take care of one. She
may be very depressed.
What to do
• Check the mother for signs of
blood loss or infection.
• You might talk to the mother about her feelings, or you may feel it is better
to leave her alone, and to watch and wait.
• If the mother is depressed, or if you know that she was seriously depressed
after a past birth, talk to the family about giving her extra attention and
support in the next weeks. Usually this depression passes in time, but
sometimes it takes a few weeks or even months.
• Make sure someone in the family takes care of the new baby.
Watch the mother for infection
A new mother’s temperature is often a little higher
than normal, especially on a hot day.
But if the mother feels ill, has a fever or a fast
pulse, or feels soreness when her womb is touched,
she may have an infection. Infection is more likely if
her waters broke early in labor, if the labor was long,
or if she was exhausted during labor.
What to do
1. Check to see if she is dehydrated (see page 159).
2. Give her lots of water and other fluids to drink.
If she continues to have a fever, she may have an infection. See page 271.
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A Book for Midwives (2010)