The New Family Your Child’s Early Months Key Points for New Families If you need more information about any of these topics, please tell your nurse before leaving the hospital. In the Hospital: Things You Should Know Before You Leave: Things You Should Do Right after delivery: ☐ Fill out paperwork for your baby’s birth certificate and social security card ...... page c ☐ Mom’s recovery and comfort care ......page 4 ☐ Make sure you have a rear-facing car seat for ☐ Hospital security ...............................page 4 your baby ........................................page 24 ☐ Early breastfeeding ..........................page 29 After You Go Home ☐ Skin-to-skin contact ........................page 29 ☐ Get help if you have trouble Safety: breastfeeding ..................................... page a ☐ Signs of jaundice ............................ page 13 ☐ Schedule your baby’s first doctor visit ........................................ page a ☐ Shaken Baby Syndrome ...................page 23 ☐ Know when it’s safe to resume sex .....page 5 ☐ Safe sleep .........................................page 24 ☐ Choose a method of birth control .....page 5 ☐ Newborn safety ...............................page 24 ☐ Know when to call: Baby-care skills: Your doctor ..................................page 6 Your baby’s doctor ......................page 25 ☐ Circumcision care ...........................page 16 ☐ Watch for signs of depression ............page 8 ☐ Cord care ........................................page 18 ☐ Schedule a postpartum visit ☐ Bathing ...........................................page 19 with your doctor .............................page 10 ☐ Temperature taking .........................page 20 ☐ Comforting a crying baby ...............page 22 ☐ Breastfeeding ...................................page 30 ☐ Diapers............................................page 52 Tips to Keep Your Baby Safe and Healthy 1. Breastfeed your baby. 2. Arrange a visit with your baby’s doctor soon. Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby in Bring your baby to the doctor or clinic (or your the first year. Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses discharge class) within 2 to 5 days of leaving the (colds, ear infections). They are less likely to get dia- hospital. Be sure to schedule this, if no one else has betes, childhood cancers and other serious diseases. done so. See pages e–f for a list of clinics. Your nurses will help you get started on breastfeed- The clinic staff will help you set up future visits. ing. If you need help after you leave the hospital, They will tell you when to come in for the shots please call one of our lactation consultants: (vaccinations) that will protect your baby against • Fairview Lakes: 651-982-7864 serious illness. The first shot will likely be given in the hospital. For more about shots, see page 55 or • Fairview Northland: 612-389-6329 visit www.health.state.mn.us/immunize. • Fairview Red Wing: 651-267-5376 If you worry about paying for clinic visits, tell • Fairview Ridges: 952-892-2552 your nurse. • University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview: 612-273-2220 3. Give your baby a safe place to sleep. • Fairview Andover Clinic: 763-392-4001 • Always place baby on his or her back to sleep. • Fairview Children’s Clinic: 612-672-2350 • Never smoke around your baby. • Fairview Eagan Clinic: 651-406-8860 • The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a For support outside of Fairview, please call: crib in your room. • Minnesota Department of Health: • Check the crib at home to make sure it is safe. In Minnesota: 877-214-BABY [2229] – At most, crib slats must be 23/8 inches apart. In Wisconsin: 715-485-8500 – The mattress should be firm. It should fit • La Leche League Leaders: 612-922-4996 tightly into the crib. There should be no • National Women’s Health Information space around the mattress. Center (English and Spanish): 1-800-994-9662, – No stuffed animals, pillows, puffy blankets, www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding or toys in the crib. For breastfeeding supplies: • Never sleep with your baby in your own bed if • Ask your Fairview pharmacy what supplies you or your partner: they may carry. For a list of pharmacies, go to – Have been drinking alcohol. www.fairview.org/pharmacy. – Have used drugs that make you sleepy. • Fairview lactation consultants may sell breast- – Are very overweight. feeding supplies as well. You could roll onto your baby and not know it. • Visit www.medela.com or www.ameda.com. In the hospital, the baby will sleep in a crib. For more on breastfeeding, read pages 27–47 or For more about safe sleep, see page 24, or visit visit www.llli.org. www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5030.html. a 4. Never shake your baby! 7. Know when to call the doctor. Parents can feel overwhelmed, especially when See also page 25 (for baby) and page 6 (for mom). their baby is crying a lot or isn’t sleeping much. Call your baby’s clinic if you notice: If you feel tempted to shake or hit your baby: • A high fever—at least 100.4° F (38° C) in the 1. Stop and step back. rectum or 99° F (37.2° C) under the arm. 2. Put your baby in its crib or another safe place. • Changes in behavior (for example, your baby 3. Do some deep-breathing or call a friend. is more or less sleepy or fussy than normal). • Vomiting (throwing up), diarrhea (loose, wa- Even a very small shake or slap can harm your baby. tery stools), or constipation (hard, dry stools). Call your baby’s clinic if you feel frustrated and • Jaundice (yellow skin, eyes—see page 13). think you may harm your baby. This is a common feeling among new parents—your clinic will • Coughing, breathing changes, or bluish skin. understand and take steps to help you. To learn • Baby refuses to feed for more than 6 hours. more, go to page 23 or visit kidshealth.org. • Fewer than six wet diapers within 24 hours. 5. Sign up for Fairview’s Mom and Baby classes. Call your own clinic if you notice: • A fever over 100.4° F (38° C) under your tongue. Once a week for six weeks, new moms (with • Heavy bleeding from the vagina (soaking more their babies) meet to talk about feeding, sleeping, than one pad per hour), bright red bleeding or parenting, and other topics. The class costs $35, clots larger than a golf ball. but no one is turned away if they can’t pay. Call • Burning or pain when you urinate (pass 612-672-7272 to find a class near you. water), or a need to urinate often. You might also attend ECFE (Early Childhood • A red or painful area on your breast. and Family Education) classes offered through • Discharge (fluid) from the vagina smells bad. your local school district. To learn more, go to www.ecfe.info or call 651-582-8402. • Pain, swelling, redness, a rash, or drainage (leaking fluid) around an incision or scar that gets worse or doesn’t go away. 6. Take good care of yourself so you can care • Pain or redness around a vein in your leg, or for your baby. you can’t stand on that leg. Being a parent is hard work. You need lots of rest, • Extreme abdominal (belly) pain. good food, and extra help from your partner and • Increased nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) other family and friends. In spite of all these things, or vomiting (throwing up). you may feel sad, frustrated, and overwhelmed. • Chest pain, coughing, or gasping for air. For many women, these feelings pass quickly. For a • Intense mood change, low energy, or loss of few, the sadness and other bad feelings keep getting interest lasting two weeks or more. worse. If this happens to you, please call a doctor • Changes in your sleeping pattern, eating right away. He or she will know how to help. For habits, or use of alcohol or drugs. more information, see pages 8–9 or go to www. • Problems focusing or making simple decisions. womenshealth.gov/faq/depression-pregnancy.cfm. • Thoughts about hurting your baby or yourself, even if you don’t act on those thoughts. b Helpful Information Birth certificate and social security card Car seats During your stay, we will give you a form to Minnesota law requires car seats for all infants complete before you leave the hospital. We will and children. If possible, secure your baby’s car use this form to file your baby’s birth certificate. seat in the middle of the back seat, facing the rear If you request a social security number for your of the car. child, we will have your details sent to the U.S. Because there are so many different car seats, the Social Security Administration as well. workers at your hospital cannot help you install After three to eight weeks, you should receive your your car seat. For more information, see page 24 baby’s social security card in the mail. If you do or visit www.buckleupkids.state.mn.us. not, call 1-800-772-1213. Childcare In about two to three weeks, you will receive a “Par- ent Notice” in the mail. (If you do not, call your For help finding reliable childcare, call the hospital and ask for the Birth Certificate Office, or Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral call the county recorder’s office in the county where Network at 1-888-291-9811. Or visit your baby was born.) This letter contains the details mnchildcare.org. that will appear on the birth certificate. 1. Please review the letter and correct any errors. Crisis nurseries 2. Return the letter before the date listed at the Call the United Way (dial 211) if you are in a top of the form. If there are errors and you crisis and need a safe place for your baby. miss this deadline, you will need to pay a fee and send more information.