Tips for the new mother: From conception to birth

Being a new mother is a delicate, interesting and a beautiful time any woman wishes to experience in her lifetime. But this comes with a lot of changes and responsibilities.

Mother-to-be often dreams about her baby for months: what he\she will look like, whether he/she is like the father or a type like them. But chances are, if it is your first child, you don’t know much about taking care of pregnancy and a newborn.

In an interview with Your Health, Dr Issa Msemo, a gynaecologist based in Dar es Salaam talks about all that a new mother needs to know to take care of herself as well as the baby in those exciting but often challenging first year.

Here are tips from the moment you plan to conceive to post-delivery.

Before pregnancy

According to Dr Msemo, a mother-to-be should consider genetical carrier screening with the partner in order to know if the genetics will match to produce a healthy baby.

Also a new mother should eat a balanced diet, avoid alcohol and caffeine, do exercise, prepare yourself financially, go for tooth checkup and infections.

When expecting

1. Get early prenatal care

Find yourself a good doctor that will take you through the whole period of your pregnancy.

Your first visit should be at around the fourth-sixth week mark and in the ninth month you should see your gynaecologist not less than four times.

The doctor will give you vitamins such as folic acid that prevents birth defects, which affect the brain and spinal cord. Remember if you don’t take good care of yourself, the clinic attendance will increase because of pregnancy complication. In your visit, the doctor will check your blood, sugar, malaria, syphilis, blood group, hepatitis b, heart beat and HIV.

2. Pregnancy period

The normal pregnancy is nine months, this period is divided into three groups.

• First trimester: This is from week 1 to 13; this the most delicate period of your pregnancy because something new has entered your body and it may react in different ways.

Some people get morning sickness, vomiting and emotional imbalance. In this trimester, the doctor will check blood, heartbeat, ultrasound to check if the baby is in the right position.

• Second trimester: It is from week 14 to 26; during this time the gender of the baby can be disclosed. Most women are relieved of the first trimester symptoms but some of them still go through it.

• Third trimester: This is from week 27 to 37; this is the last, easy but most tiring moment for an expectant mother because the baby has grown and the stomach is big and heavy.

During this period, it is a perfect time for a mother to start preparing for the birth kit because anything can happen in this period.

3. Eating habit

You should remember now you are eating for two or more people. A pregnant woman needs to eat all types or groups of food such as vitamins, carbohydrates, protein and fat as directed by a nutritionist or doctor.

4. Stop drinking alcohol, smoking and taking drugs

Smoking, using drugs and drinking alcohol can harm an unborn baby in many ways.

Smoking exposes your baby to harmful chemicals, restrict blood flow, and it may even cause premature labour. Drinking puts baby at risk of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). And drugs such as marijuana, tobacco, cocaine may cause birth defect or miscarriage.

After birth

1. Taking good care of stitches/tear

Your doctor or nurse should give you instructions on how to care of your tear/stitches. Pay keen attention to them. Taking good care of your tear/stitches will make them heal earlier and give you time to enjoy with your new born.

2. Breastfeeding

Breast milk keeps your baby healthy and it raises your baby’s resistant to diseases and protects them against diseases. As soon as you give birth to them, breastfeed them immediately. Those first feeds is good for a baby because it contains a lot of proteins and a mother’s antibodies, which protect them from infections. You need to feed your baby as many time as he/she wants because the more they suck the milk, the more the flow.

As a new mother, you should also learn from your nurse the positions and steps on how to breastfeed your baby.

3. Baby’s hygiene

Get in the habit of always washing your hands and only using products specially designed for your baby’s delicate skin.

You should not mix baby’s stuff with others because their skin is very delicate so you can’t expose them to any contaminated materials or harsh chemicals.

4. Eating habit of the mother

A new mother should eat natural foods and a lot of vegetables, fish, meat and fruits.

Natural foods will help her regain the strength as early as possible and she will produce more milk for the baby. She must also remember to drink more fluids, especially water.

5. Dress your baby right

Remember that babies cannot regulate their body temperature until they’re about 6 months old. So dress your newborn carefully.

They should wear the same amount of clothing as you, indoors or outdoors. Also don’t over bundle them; sweating can cause him/her to become restless.

6. Vaccination for the baby

If a baby is born in the hospital, nurses will arrange for the babies vaccine as required.

After that a new mother will be given calendar on how she should attend the remaining vaccine schedule.

Do remember to attend all of them because they are very important for the baby as it protects them against various diseases.