Written by tamara in Gravidanza, Parto e Post-parto.
This article is available in Italian and English.
Ed infine il post-parto in ospedale.
La maggior parte dei reparti maternità e post-parto in Norvegia sono chiamati “ospedali amici di madre e bambino”. Ciò significa che voi e il vostro bambino vi trovate nella stessa stanza per tutto il tempo dopo la nascita. In questo modo conoscerete il vostro bambino. Il personale vi assisterà con l’allattamento, possono anche mostrarvi come cambiare i pannolini, come fare il bagnetto e curare il tuo bambino. Possono anche badare al tuo bambino per alcune ore, quando ne hai bisogno.
Some hours after birth you and your baby will move to the postnatal ward. Here you may stay for some days to get your breastfeeding started and rest after the birth.
Most maternity and postnatal wards in Norway are “mother-child friendly hospitals”. This means that you and your baby are in the same room all the time after birth. This way you will get to know your baby. The staff will assist you with breastfeeding. They can also show you how to change diapers and how to bathe and care for your baby. They can also mind your baby for some hours when you need this.
At some hospital your baby’s father or another person may stay with you and the baby after the birth. This may be a postnatal hotel or a family room at a postnatal ward. The person accompanying you must normally pay for a board and lodging.
I bambini non devono essere trattati bruscamente, per esempio essere scossi, in quanto ciò può causare lesioni al cervello.
Tu puoi fare il bagnetto al tuo bambino ogni giorno o meno frequentemente. Alcuni bambini hanno movimenti intestinali ogni giorno, altri poche volte a settimana. Tutti i bambini fanno pipì molte volte ogni giorno. Questo è segno che il bambino prende abbastanza latte.
Your baby has already developed many senses and is a sensitive little being. The newborn child is slightly myopic. It learns to recognize his or her mother’s face after a few days. Babies also recognize voices they hear often. They like to lie close to their mother or father. Babies are absolutely dependent on receiving food and care from us adults. They are helpless.
We may not always understand what a baby wants, but when it cries, we must take it into our arms and comfort it.
Babies must not be handled roughly, for example by being shaken, as this may cause injury to the brain.
You may bathe your baby every day or less frequently. Some children have bowel movements every day, other a few times for week. All babies pass water many times every day. This is sign that the baby is getting enough milk..
A birth is a major event in your life and in the life of all women. Being able to talk to someone about what has happened may be very good for you. If you experienced unexpected incidents during the birth, it may be very useful to be told why these things happened. While you are in the postnatal ward you may ask to speak with the midwife or doctor who attended the birth.
Everyone employed at a hospital is duty bound to assist you and your child. The postnatal ward has rules for that may or may not be done there. If you are uncertain, ask the staff. Because we are all different it may not be possible to satisfy all your wishes.
If you are sharing a room with other women, you must be considerate of each other.
Women have different wishes and needs for visits.
Many people really enjoy visiting a mother who has just had a baby. Some mothers want to hold off visits from friends and relatives until they are home again.
For others it is important to be visited during the first postpartum days. Bear in mind that you must consider those you are sharing a room with. If you would like many people to visit you, it may be the best if you go to a visitors’ room or another common room to ensure that your roommates can rest peacefully. If you find it difficult when the woman in the next bed has visits, you should ask the staff for assistance.
Le tradizioni durante il periodo postnatale possono essere una buona cosa da osservare. La maggior parte delle culture hanno abitudini relative alla madre e al bambino nel corso di questo periodo, quando sono così vulnerabili. Racconta al personale del reparto maternità delle tradizioni che sono importanti per te e per la tua famiglia.
Most maternity wards are qualified to prepare food that is suitable for you, if they are notified about what you need. You may for example need Halad food or other special food. If you would like to eat food brought to you from your home, you may ask to use the kitchen or ask the staff to arrange this for you.
Traditions during the postnatal period may be a good thing to observe. Most cultures have customs relating to mother and child during this period when they are so vulnerable. Tell the maternity ward staff about which traditions are important for you and your family.
Anche molte altre cose sono più semplice. Possiamo meglio comprendere il naturale sviluppo dei neonati. Pertanto vecchi usi e costumi non possono sempre essere i migliori.
Many grandmothers are surprised at the absence of rules and fuss when it comes to baby-care these days. A case in point is navel care: In earlier times many were taught that the baby’s navel had to be cleaned and washed in a particular way. The navel had to be powdered or covered with cream and bandaged several times each day. Now we do none of these things. The navel should be kept dry, but you may bathe your baby as you like. Just make sure that you dry the baby’s skin well afterwards. The stump of the umbilical chord withers and the navel grows within a week.
Many other things have also become simpler. We may understand the natural development of babies better. Therefore old customs and habits may not always be the best ones.
A tutti i bambini in Norvegia (e in molti altri paesi) deve essere preso un campione di sangue dopo la nascita. Questo serve per determinare se il tuo bambino soffre di una malattia che si chiama Fenilchetonuria (PKU) o se il bambino sta producendo inadeguata quantità di ormone della tiroxina (THS). Pochi bambini nascono con queste malattie ogni anno. Vengono curati medicazioni e dieta speciale.
On the first or second day postpartum a paediatrician will come for a thorough check-up of your baby. The doctor will explain everything to you. If the doctor needs to take extra samples or examine your baby, you will be told why. Babies who need to be will be inoculated against hepatitis B or tuberculosis.
All babies in Norway (and in many other countries) must have a blood sample taken after birth. This is to determine whether your baby suffers from a disease called phenylketonuria (PKU) or whether the baby is producing inadequate amounts of the thyroxin hormone (THS). A few babies are born with these diseases each year. They are cured when they receive medication and a special diet.
When you are about to leave the postnatal ward the midwife will give you good advice about how things will be at home. Ask about anything you would like to know. You will be given some papers from the hospital. Keep these in a safe place. The hospital notifies the population register that you have give birth to a baby. You will be sent a form on which you enter the baby’s name and apply for the child allowance.
Circumcision for boys is permitted in Norway. Ask at the maternity ward to find out where this can be performed.
Circumcision of girls is prohibited by Norwegian law, as it is in most countries in the world. If you live in Norway, you may not send girls abroad to be circumcised. If circumcision has been a tradition in your family, it may appear strange and difficult that it is not permitted here. Talk with the staff at the public health clinic. They can give you information about the Norwegian law on this. They can also put you in contact with other families where this has been discussed.
Non tutti i bambini trovano facile succhiare. Non tutte le donne trovano facile attaccare il bambino al seno. Chiedi aiuto. Le ostetriche e le infermiere sono qui per aiutarti. Prima di andare a casa devi riuscire ad attaccare il tuo bambino al seno facilmente. Nel periodo di allattamento potresti essere assetata. Tiene dell’acqua nelle vicinanze. Hai bisogno di 2-3 litri di acqua al giorno.
Your body makes the finest baby food – mother’s milk. It has all the important nutrients. It is always correctly mixed, has the right temperature and is absolutely clean. The most important thing you can do to give your baby a good start in life is to breastfeed it.
Not all babies find it easy to suckle. Not all women find it easy to put their baby to their breast. Ask for assistance. Midwives and children’s nurse are responsible for helping you. Before you go home from the maternity ward, you must find it easy to have your baby suckle. You may become thirsty when you are breastfeeding. Keep a jug of water close by. You need 2-3 litres of water each day.
Colostrum is the first that comes. It is yellow and thick and does not look like regular milk. This is wonderful food for your newborn baby. If your baby suckles its first day of life, it gets these nourishing drops. This milk covers all needs for food during the first days of life for the baby. In some cultures it has been believed that colustrum was not good for the baby. It was hand expressed and discarded. This was wrong. The yellow colostrum is made especially for newborn babies.
Il vostro bambino deve essere allattato tanto spesso quanto lui vuole. Richiedi assistenza per determinare se il bambino si attacca al capezzolo correttamente. Puoi sentire un po’ di dolore all’inizio, ma poi non ci dovrebbe essere alcun dolore. Il secondo giorno dopo il parto spesso è il giorno in cui succhia di più. Ora il bambino vuole succhiare molto più di frequente. Questo stimola i seni nella produzione del latte ed è importante per te produrne abbastanza. In questo giorno dopo l’allattamento, mangiare e bere, non ti rimarrà tempo per altre cose. Per fortuna con il tempo diventa più facile!
Nel terzo giorno di post-parto spesso il seno si gonfia e fa male e tu potresti avere un po’ di febbre. Questo accade perché le ghiandole del tuo seno stanno lavorando duramente per produrre latte. Il bambino succhia spesso. Dopo il terzo giorno il bambino prenderà più latte ad ogni pasto. Questo ti da più tempo per riposare tra un pasto e l’altro. E’ bello ricevere incoraggiamenti e aiuti da altre donne che hanno allattato.
The feeding needs of babies are satisfied by what the mother has in her breast. Never worry that the breasts feel empty during the first days. If you pinch your nipples just a little bit, you will see that some drops appear. That is sufficient. The milk come in greater quantities after two, three or four days, and this will continue until your baby stops suckling.
Your baby must be allowed to breastfeed as frequently as it wants to. Ask for assistance to determine whether the baby latches on to the nipple correctly. You may feel sore to begin with, but there should be no pain. The second day after birth is often the great suckling day. Now the baby wants to suckle very frequently. This stimulates the breasts into producing milk and is important for you to produce enough milk. You will have little time for anything else than breastfeeding, eating and drinking this day. Fortunately it becomes easier over time!
On the third day postpartum the breasts will often be swollen and painful and you may have a slight fever. This is because your breast glands are working hard to produce milk. Let the baby suckle often. After the third day the baby will get more milk with each meal. That gives you more time to rest between each breastfeeding. It is nice to receive encourangement and assistance from other women who have breastfeeding experience.
Your baby needs nothing but mother’s milk during the first six months of its life, and does not need water, sugar water or other milk than mother’s milk. In many cultures it is common to give babies supplements. Do not do this! It is not healthy for your baby to get water with sugar or honey or herbal tea. Your baby’s health will be best if it gets only mother’s milk. After six months your baby may be given other food together with mother’s milk. It is good for your baby if you keep breastfeeding it as long as possible.
Many need assistance with breastfeeding to make it work. Tell the staff if you find it difficult. If it becomes impossible for you to breastfeed, you will be given advice on the other food for your baby. The maternity ward and the public health clinc will help you. “Ammehjelpen” is an organization where women with experience provide assistance and device. There are also book, videotapes and other information about breastfeeding. Perhaps other can help you translate from Norwegian language and explain things to you.
When you feel it is about time to stop breastfeeding, you should first ask for advice from the public health clinic.
Your body changes a lot during pregnancy. After giving birth there are new changes and new hormones in your body. Your breasts grow much larger when they start to produce milk. Your stomach, needless to say, grows smaller after you have given birth. But it does not become firm and flat all at once. The skin and muscles have been stretched during these 40 weeks of pregnancy. Now your body needs time to contract again.
You will bleed as you do when menstruating during the initial days after a birth, and then the bleeding will gradually diminish. After a week there will be little blood. After 14 days most women will have stopped bleeding. There will also be some outflow of mucous with the blood. This outflow will continue for some weeks after you have stopped bleeding. It smells like blood, so you must wash and rinse every time you have been to the toilet. If the smell is very strong, this may be a sign of inflammation. If so, you should contact the maternity ward.
During the initial days postpartum you will notice that tears come more frequently that before. Many notice this already during their pregnancy. One minute you might be happy and satisfied, and the next you might be distressed and start to cry. This is normal. Almost all women feel this way. When you are given care and love, assistance and comfort, sleep and rest, you will cope better. But all new mothers think about their responsibility for the new baby. In time you will grow accustomed to being a mother.
If you do not feel happy but distressed and cry much, you need help. Perhaps you are unable to sleep or cannot manage to eat. You may feel you are unable to care for your baby or you may feel totally exhausted. If this is your situation, you need help as soon as possible. Tell your family about what you feel. They must help you and the baby. You, or someone else in your family, must contact the staff at the maternity ward or the public health clinic and explain the situation. You will receive help from specialists.
You will get well more quickly if you get help quickly.
Men who have just become a father are entitled to leave from work for 14 days. Some are paid during their leave, but unfortunately not all.
The public health nurse from your public health clinic will come to your house during the first weeks. You may also contact the clinic if you need assistance. Your baby must have its first health check-up when it is six weeks old. At the public health clinic you will meet other women who have recently had a baby.
When you have given birth you need rest and sleep. Your newborn baby will also need to breastfeed in the middle of the night. You will get most rest and sleep if you follow your baby’s sleep rhythm during the first weeks. This means that you must be allowed to sleep in the daytime. It is also important to keep moving. Your body needs activity to be restored to what it was before you became pregnant. It is not healthy to stay in bed all the time..
Baby should always sleep on their back, and may sleep in their own bed. You may also have your baby in your bed, but then a number of things are required. Your baby must not lie too close to you. You must never sleep with your baby in your bed if you have drunk alcohol or taken medication that will reduce your alertness. A baby must never sleep in the same bed as a person who smokes. It is recommended that the baby should have its own blanket or comforter.
Vestire il tuo bambino in accordo alle temperature della stanza o esterne. Molti bambini vengono vestiti troppo. Senti il tuo bambino dietro la nuca, non le mani o i piedi, che sono sempre un po’ freddi nei neonati. Il bambino, al tatto, deve essere caldo ma non sudato. I bambini che hanno troppo caldo diventano arrabbiati, inquieti e piangono.
Se porti il bambino in auto, deve essere opportunamente assicurato. Puoi affittare o comprare il necessario per l’auto.
Your baby does not need much during the first weeks. Initially you need diapers, shirts and pants, a warm blanket, a comforter and a bed.
Dress you baby according to the temperature in the room or outside. Many babies are dressed too warmly. Feel your baby’s neck, not hands or feet, which are always a bit cold with newborn babies. The baby should feel warm to the touch, but should not be sweaty. Babies who are too warm become angry, restless and cry.
If you take your baby in your car, it must be secured properly. You can rent or buy the necessary seating or bag harness.
If your baby has older siblings, it is wise to pay special attention to them after a birth. It is not easy for a small child to understand that there is love enough for everyone. Even older children may become uncertain about this. Give extra love and pay extra attention to the older children during the first days back home. Others can change diapers on the baby while you do this. It is often enough with a few days of giving extra much love for the feeling of security to return.
Everyone who has given birth should dress warmly during the initial period after the birth. This protects against infections. Your breast must be protected and kept warm. Norway is a cold country, and you should wear warm socks, stockings, pants and jackets, if you did not give birth during a warm summer period. You also need solid walking shoes when taking your baby for a stroll in the pram.
Some women get a slight fever on the day milk production starts in their breasts. This passes after a day and is not dangerous. If you feel rather poorly otherwise, you should take your temperature. If you are running a fever, you must contact the maternity ward and ask for help.
It is not normal to have heavy bleeding after you have come home. If this happens, you should contact the emergency medical service or return to the hospital.
The first menstruation after birth comes at different times for different women. Many do not get their menstruation back before they stop breastfeeding. Remember that you begin to ovulate before you menstruate. Thus you may become pregnant if you have sexual intercourse.
You can have sexual intercourse when you feel ready for it. Many books state that you should wait for six weeks. There is no medical reason for this, but it could serve as a good rule of thumb. Many feel slightly anxious about the first sexual intercourse after having a baby. The vagina may be slightly sore and dry due to the hormonal changes. You should therefore spend much time on foreply and use a vaginal cream. If you want to avoid becoming pregnant, you and your partner must use contraception. Condoms are simplest to use initially. You have a spiral insered after 10-12 weeks. Ask your doctor or midwife about further family planning/contraception.
You may ask for a so-called “post check-up” by a doctor or midwife some two or three months after you give birth. Your pubic area and vagina will then be examined and you will be offered family planning or contraception. You can also have blood samples taken to check your haemoglobin percentage.