Children and new born setup

The birth of a baby is a wonderful and very complex process. Many physical and emotional changes occur for both mother and baby.

A baby must make many physical adjustments to life outside the mother’s body. Leaving the uterus means that a baby can no longer depend on the mother’s blood supply and placenta for important body functions.

Before birth, the baby depends on functions from the mother. These include breathing, eating, elimination of waste, and immune protection. When a baby leaves the womb, its body systems must change. For example:

  • The lungs must breathe air.

  • The cardiac and pulmonary circulation changes.

  • The digestive system must begin to process food and excrete waste.

  • The kidneys must begin working to balance fluids and chemicals in the body and excrete waste.

  • The liver and immune systems must begin working on their own.

Your baby’s body systems must work together in a new way. In some cases, a baby has trouble making the transition outside the womb. Preterm birth, a difficult birth, or birth defects can make these changes more challenging. But a lot of special care is available to help newborn babies.

Care of the Baby in the Delivery Room

Amazing physical changes occur with birth. When the baby is delivered, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut near the navel. This ends the baby’s dependence on the placenta for oxygen and nutrition. As the baby takes its first breath, air moves into the lungs. Before birth, the lungs are not used to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, and need less blood supply. The fetal circulation sends most of the blood supply away from the lungs through special connections in the heart and the large blood vessels. When a baby starts to breathe air at birth, the change in pressure in the lungs helps close the fetal connections and redirect the blood flow. Now blood is pumped to the lungs to help with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Some babies have too much fluid in their lungs. Stimulating the baby to cry by massage and stroking the skin can help bring the fluid up where it can be suctioned from the nose and mouth.

What essentials do you need for your newborn?

Having a few essential items on hand for the hospital and when you bring your newborn home will help ease the transition. Make sure you remove these items from their packaging. Familiarize yourself with the instructions and assemble them, if necessary. This will ensure they’re ready to use as soon as you need them.

Essentials for the hospital

  • A few newborn diapers
  • A hat
  • Swaddle blanket
  • Samples of formula if you’re bottle-feeding

How much do newborn babies sleep?

A newborn’s schedule can feel unpredictable. Newborns will sleep an average of eight to nine hours in the daytime. They may sleep up to another eight hours total at night. But this won’t usually be for the same stretch of time. Newborns also have very small stomachs. They’ll need to get up about every three hours to eat until around 3 months of age. Once they’re a little older, they’ll be able to go longer between feedings. Some babies will sleep through the night starting at 4 months. Others won’t sleep through the night until later. Your pediatrician is your best resource for letting you know how often your newborn will need to be fed throughout the night as they grow.