Chapter 15
The first weeks after the birth
In this chapter:
What to do for the mother.......................................................................................... 269
Help the mother care for herself . . . . . 269 Watch for other warning signs . . . . . . 273
Watch the mother’s womb
The mother’s legs are red, hard,
and bleeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
or swollen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Watch the mother for signs of
womb infection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Watch the mother for signs of
vaginal infection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Leaking urine or stool . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Give emotional support . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
What to do for the baby............................................................................................... 274
Encourage the baby to breastfeed
and watch how she grows . . . . . . . . 274
Baby has signs of dehydration . . . . . . 275
Baby does not gain weight
or grow normally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Care for the cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Tetanus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Pneumonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Meningitis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Watch the color of the baby’s
skin and eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Look for signs of infection . . . . . . . . . 277
268