When your baby is born by an emergency caesarean section, there is a chance the paediatrician may send her to the neo-natal intensive care unit, even for a few hours. Babies are routinely placed in a head box, which is a partial incubator that only covers the baby's head. This is usually simply a precaution and your baby will be brought to you fairly soon.
If your baby needs more attention, he will be put in a full incubator in the ICU. The incubator may be closed or open, depending on the amount of care the baby needs. It is also possible that they will have to spend some days there. You should use this time productively and work closely with those in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Give yourself the chance to recover
While you are still in hospital, take advantage of the opportunity to get as much rest as you can. Remember that you have had the equivalent of abdominal surgery. Your body needs time to repair itself and to recover. You will not have to be woken during the night to feed your baby, which means that you will have time to be able to do this.
When you go home and if your baby is still in hospital, make sure that you get rest, but also take advantage of the time to make sure that everything is completely ready for your baby when they come home.
Prepare your body to feed your baby
One or two days after birth, either naturally or by caesarean section, a woman's breasts will become ready to feed her baby. When your baby is not with you, it is important that you use a breast pump on your breasts. This will mimic the sucking action of your baby and will bring in the colostrum and then the milk. You must continue expressing breast milk regularly until your baby is discharged from ICU and will breast feed.
The breast milk that is produced when you use the breast pump should be frozen so that it can be used for your baby when they are ready to be fed, even in the ICU.
Visit your baby
While you are still in hospital, you should take as many opportunities as you can to visit your baby. Even if you cannot hold them yet, you will be able to speak to them and hold their hand. This will help you to bond with each other.
When you are discharged from hospital and your baby has to remain in ICU, make sure that you visit him every day, even if you have to get a lift to the hospital.
Share29 July 2016
Hey there. My name is Wade, and I have been a first aid volunteer for the past twenty years. Most weekends you will find me at football games, rodeos, agricultural shows or fun runs. I really love being able to help at these events and provide the necessary level of assistance. As a first responder, my medical role is very limited, but, many injured people do contact me to give thanks after they recover. This has further sparked my interest in health and medicine. I love watching medical shows and reading basic texts to gain a greater understanding of particular medical problems. I'm sure there are others like me who take an amateur interest in health and medical matters. I started this blog to share intriguing information I come across. I hope you find my topics fascinating and instructive. Thank you for dropping by.