Integrated Maternal and Newborn Care Basic Skills Course ...

Advise on postpartum care and hygiene
Advise the woman:
• To always have someone near her for the first 24 hours to respond to any change in her
condition.
• Not to insert anything into the vagina.
• To avoid sexual intercourse until the perineal wound heals and it is comfortable for her.
• To have enough rest and sleep.
• About the importance of washing to prevent infection of the mother and her baby:
o Wash the perineum daily and
after fecal excretion.
o Change perineal pads every 4
to 6 hours, or more frequently if
there is heavy lochia.
o Wash used pads or dispose of
them safely.
o Wash the body once daily
during bathing with soap and
water.
o Wash hands before handling
the baby, at least after
changing the diaper/napkin,
after using the toilet herself,
and after cleaning the house.
Wash hands every time before handling a low birth weight baby.
Advise on the need for rest and sleep during the postpartum
Explain to the woman:
• That a breastfeeding woman needs
additional time to rest. This is because
she is recovering from pregnancy and
childbirth, breastfeeding, and taking
care of a little baby, which takes up a
lot of her time.
• That she can try to negotiate with
family members to help with
household chores so that she can take
more time to rest.
• That she can ask a health care
provider to help her explain her needs in the postpartum to her partner and family
members.
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Integrated maternal and newborn care
Basic skills course