What to do for the baby
If you can, write down what you find on a chart. A chart will help you
remember to do each step, and to notice changes that happen over time. Here is an
example of a chart you can use:
Mother’s name
physical signs
general
appearance
breathing
heartbeat
temperature
weight and length
hour 1 hour 2
Baby’s name
hour 3 hour 4
hour 5
hour 6
shoulders, arms, and hands
head (skull)
belly
ears genitals
eyes hips
nose and mouth
legs and feet
neck
back
chest
skin
General appearance
The way a baby looks and sounds can tell you a lot about her health. Notice
everything! Is the baby small or large? Fat or thin? Do her arms, legs, feet, hands,
body, and head seem to be the right size? Is the baby tense or relaxed? Active or
still? Listen to the baby’s cry. Every baby’s cry is a little different, but a strange,
high, piercing cry can be a sign of illness.
Baby is limp, weak, does not wake up, or does not eat much
Many babies are very sleepy for the first few days after birth. They should wake up
from time to time to breastfeed. When awake, the baby should respond to noise
and touch. If the baby does not respond, or seems unusually weak, slow, or limp
in the first few hours, she may have one of these problems:
• difficulty breathing (see page 254)
• infection (see page 277)
• not enough sugar in the
blood (see page 254)
• sleepiness from drugs or herbs given
to the mother during labor
A Book for Midwives (2010)
253