POST PARTUM CARE determine any need for

anticipatory guidance in home

Care within the First 24 Hours care.
 Assess any laboratory data of the
Providing nursing care to a postpartum
woman to be certain that she is
woman during the first 24 hours entails the
recovering well and if any
following:
procedures or additional
diagnostic tests need to be
 Assess the woman’s family profile
performed.
to determine the impact that the
 Assess the woman’s general
newborn would give to the family
appearance because it is a
and to the woman.
reflection of how well the woman
 Assess the
is moving into the taking hold
woman’s pregnancy history,
phase of recovery.
especially if the pregnancy was
 Assure the woman that losing a
planned or unplanned as it will
quantity of her hair is not a sign of
determine the ability of the
illness but because she is
woman to bond with the newborn.
returning to her nonpregnant
 Assess the labor and birth history
state, as hair grows rapidly during
such as the length of labor and if
pregnancy because of increased
any analgesia or anesthesia was
metabolism.
used to determine any necessary
 Assess for facial edema, especially
procedures to be done.
for a woman with pregnancy-
 Determine the infant’s data and
induced hypertension.
profile to help with planning the
 Advise the woman to purchase a
care of the newborn and promote
nursing bra that is one to two sizes
bonding between the parents.
larger than her pregnancy size to
 The woman would also need a
allow for increase.
postpartum course such as her
 Assess the woman’s breast for any
activity level after birth, any
cracks or fissures, and avoid
difficulties or pain felt, and if she is
squeezing the nipple. Also, assess
successful with infant feeding to
for signs of mastitis such as
 inflammation of a certain part of greatly help mothers learn not
the breast. only what the instructors teach
 Assess the location, consistency, but also from the experiences that
and height of the fundus through some mothers could share to the
palpation. group.
 If the uterus is not firm upon  It is also recommended for fathers
palpation, massage it gently. to attend such classes so the
Placing the infant on the mother’s mother would have someone she
breast also aids in stimulating can rely on with the newborn care.
contractions.  Individual instruction is also
 Lochia is expected in a sought after postpartum, as the
postpartum woman for 2 to 6 family will need to know how to
weeks, so assessment of its care for the woman and the
characteristics is necessary to newborn after discharge.
determine if it is the normal lochia  Teaching should not always be
or not. formal; it may come in the form of
 Observe the perineum for comments during classes or
ecchymosis, hematoma. Edema or procedures.
any drainage and bleeding from  Instruct the woman to avoid lifting
the stitches. heavy objects for the first three
weeks after birth.
Care in Preparation for Discharge
 Advise the woman to allot a rest
period every day, or to rest
Before the woman is discharged, she must be
and sleep while her newborn is
educated properly regarding the care of the
also asleep so she can regain her
newborn and herself at home.
energy.
 Assess first the ability of the  Be certain that the woman is
mother to absorb new instructions aware that she must return to the
and to listen. healthcare facility after 4 to 6
 Conducting group classes weeks for examination and that
regarding newborn care could she must arrange an appointment
 for her baby to be examined by a
pediatrician at 2 to 4 weeks of age.
 Make sure that the woman and
the family understood the
discharge instructions amidst all
the frenzy of the new baby; review
instructions with parents before
they leave.
 Calling or visiting 24 hours after
discharge is the best way to
evaluate whether the family has
been able to grasp all instructions
and integrate the newborn into
the family.
Care after Discharge
Discharge from the healthcare facility usually
occurs after 2 to 3 days after birth.
 The woman can rest better at
home and may eat better if she
has cultural preferences regarding
food.
 The newborn can also be exposed
earlier to the routines of the
family, and make it easier for her
to adjust to extrauterine
environment.
 A home visit after the discharge is
usually recommended to check on
how the family is doing now that
they have a newborn in the house.
 High-risk newborns, newborns
born to adolescent mothers, and
newborns with mothers who have
abused drugs during pregnancy
need to have a specially planned
discharge and home visit.
 Pregnancy history is assessed
during the postpartum visit and if
there are any difficulty with the
bonding between the mother and
the baby, and allow the woman to
relate her labor and birth
experiences.
 Assess the newborn history and if
there are any concerns about the
newborn that the woman has
noticed.
 Assess the woman’s future plans,
whether she is going back to work
outside home and if she had
already arranged the care of her
newborn while she is away.
 Conduct a family assessment and
ask if other members of the family
are adapting well with a newborn
in the house.
 Examine both the mother and the
newborn physically to note any
signs of postpartum
complications or defects.
 Remind the mother about the
health maintenance visit of the
newborn once she reaches 2 to 4
weeks old, and her return checkup
4 to 6 weeks after birth.