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Caring for Mothers and Infants
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Caring for mothers and infant Chapter 19 pg. 321- 346Note-taking sheet
Mother Care
Postpartum period
1. What does the term postpartum mean?
After childbirth, that period starts with the birth of the baby and ends 6 weeks later.
During postpartum, the mother adjusts physically and emotionally with the effects of
childbirth, her uterus and the rest of her body begin to return on their normal state.
2. How can the Personal Support worker support a new mother and her family in the postpartum
period?
- Provide physical care for the mother
- Provide care for the newborn
- Help with child care when other young children are in the home
- Help with home management tasks such as meal preparation and housekeeping
Postpartum Affect
3. What is baby blues?
Feelings of sadness or mild depression in the mother during the first 2 weeks after
childbirth.
4. What is postpartum depression?
Major depression on the side of the mother at any point during the first year after
childbirth.
5. What is postpartum psychosis?
The most severe form of postpartum depression; the mother may experience delusions,
hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.
6. What signs and symptoms should be reported?
- Fever of 38-degree Celsius or higher
- Chills, poor appetite, fatigue, nausea or vomiting
- Lochia that soaks a sanitary pad within 1 hour of application
- Foul-smelling lochia
- Large number of clots in the lochia
- Painful, burning, or difficult urination
- Severe abdominal or perineal pain
- Bleeding, redness, swelling or drainage from a Caesarean-section incision
- Leg pain, tenderness, or swelling
- Breast pain, tenderness or swelling
- Feelings of depression
, Lochia
7. What is Lochia?
It is the blood and other substances expelled from the uterus, like a vaginal discharge
after childbirth, it can be made up of blood, mucus, and placental tissues. The discharge
will increase with breastfeeding and activity, it will return to normal once the mother
takes rest. It has an odour similar to a menstrual discharge, it typically continues for 4 to 6
weeks after childbirth and progresses through three stages: lochia rubra, lochia serosa
and lochia alba.
8. Please describe the following types of lochia by color and when it occurs in the postpartum
period.
Lochia rubra – the first stage of the discharge, its color is red because it consists of large amount
of blood coming out of the vagina , it typically lasts for 3 to 5 days after childbirth
Lochia serous – it is the thinned discharge that has turned brownish or pink which contains blood,
water, red blood cells, white blood cells and cervical mucus. This stage continues until around the
tenth day of the delivery.
Lochia alba – this discharge is a whitish or yellowish-white secretion that typically lasts from the
second through the third to sixth week after delivery which contains fewer red blood cells and is
made up of mainly leukocytes , epithelial cells, mucus, cholesterol and fats.
9. What observations should be reported immediately to your supervisor?
- Fever of 38-degree Celsius or higher
- Chills, poor appetite, fatigue, nausea or vomiting
- Lochia that soaks a sanitary pad within 1 hour of application
- Foul-smelling lochia
- Large number of clots in the lochia
- Painful, burning, or difficult urination
- Severe abdominal or perineal pain
- Bleeding, redness, swelling or drainage from a Caesarean-section incision
- Leg pain, tenderness, or swelling
- Breast pain, tenderness or swelling
- Feelings of depression
Perineal care
10. What is an episiotomy?
It is the incision made in the perineum to increase the size of the vaginal opening for the
delivery of the baby or to decrease the risk of perineal tearing.
11. How can the PSW promote proper perineal care to avoid infection?
The mother should be instructed or if needed, help to clean the perineum by using squirt
bottle filled with warm water and then wiping away all remaining drainage with a clean
with cloth and the change sanitary pad, and always practice hand hygiene each time she
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