My Baby!!
Pregnancy and childbirth are those beautiful moments of life, that the couple wants to cherish forever. As the expected date approaches the entire family, especially the Nani and the Dadi wait expectantly for the arrival of the little bundle of joy. More often than not, they get to hold the baby in their arms as soon as it is delivered. There is a celebratory mood everywhere. But sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances, the baby must be monitored in a neonatal unit for a few days.
If the parents are aware of the condition, e.g. Prematurity or low birth weight beforehand. They are mentally prepared that the baby will be away from them for some time. However, there are times when the neonate has to be taken care of. In a neonatal unit for situations that occur at the time of birth. The mother carried it in her belly for 9 months and expects it beside her on the bed as soon as it comes out. And rightly so! That’s the best way to bond with the baby.
But if the baby didn’t cry immediately after birth and had to be resuscitated or takes some effort to breathe. Then the baby must be observed in a neonatal care unit. A pall of gloom descends on the entire family. However, I want to reiterate that these are minor problems that can be handled easily. The baby is put on intravenous fluids initially and oral feeding is started gradually in incremental volumes. As soon as the baby tolerates feeding well, it is discharged from the neonatal care unit. It may take a few days and the anxiety of the parents keeps mounting.
I have seen young mothers crying and anxious until the baby comes back by their side. One more condition is neonatal jaundice. It’s a physiological phenomenon and resolves on its own. But if the bilirubin level is quite high, phototherapy needs to be given to reduce the level of bilirubin. This too has a great impact on the psyche of the mother and she gets very upset. Most babies cry incessantly when phototherapy is being given to them. That’s all the more disturbing.
Girls, let me tell you, the neonatal units today are quite equipped and the neonatologists are equally skillful to take care of your tiny tot. meanwhile, you just have to hold your nerves, be patient, think positively, and take good care of yourself.
Dr. Manisha Shembekar
MD, DA
Joint Managing Director
Omega Hospital, Nagpur