This book is written for young parents, especially those not yet experienced in the art of motherhood to help alleviate the anxieties that follow the birth and care of a new born baby till they are one year old.
Although the titleseems to focus on the mothers, fathers are not exempted and should also go through this book since they are also involved in the worry and accompanying sleepless nights.
Babies are supposed to be a desired gift from God and a bundle of joy to their parents, but often this joy is truncated by anxieties resulting from lack of knowledge, ‘old wives fables’, myths and cultural beliefs which are often not very accurate, sending the young parents running from place to place in search of solutions.
Funny enough, most causes of the worries are often normal processes that should take place as the newborn readjusts to life outside the mothers’ womb. Some are minor problems that could be solved by a Paediatrician or good General practitioner often by counselling, bringing a much desired relief and a relaxed environment in the home.
However, a trip to the wrong place or a wrong advice from the wrong quarters could, not only permanently damage the child but also lead to the demise of the neonate or infant with much sorrow to the family.
The facts in this book are put together to help these young parents acquire the knowledge they need for the handling of their newborn babies, reduce anxiety and apply appropriate measures that will help the babies enjoy a healthy beginning in life. It is a result of many years of practice in child health both in the public and private hospital set up. It will answer a lot of questions posed by young mothers who consult paediatricians, other doctors, nurses, other health practitioners and sometimes quacks on issues that they either need not worry about or are easily sorted out by people who know what to do. It is my belief that this information will also help to reduce the incidence of ill health (morbidity) and deaths (mortality) among this age group when more parents know what to do and apply this knowledge appropriately. Mothers will also experience less anxiety especially as some mothers run high blood pressures after delivery. Any knowledge or interventions that will bring less anxiety during this period should therefore be most welcome.
TRANSITION BETWEEN PREGNANCY AND BIRTH
The period between pregnancy and childbirth is usually full of anxiety, understandably so for several reasons. Labour has always been seen as a period when the life of an expectant mother hangs between life and death. However if we remember that in every situation in life we are at risk of death, many may become more relaxed and regard labour as a normal physiological process that must be experienced before a new life is brought into this planet.
In the womb, the baby’s source of life (calories, proteins, fluid, oxygen and some other necessities of life) are supplied by the mother. This is through the umbilical cord which attaches the baby to the mothers’ placenta on the womb through the umbilicus. The umbilicus has a network of vessels (arteries and veins) which transport these nutrients to the baby and also gets rid of the by products from the baby in the reverse direction to the mothers’ system. These by products are then excreted through the mothers’ various excretory system.
| Language | Status |
|---|---|
|
Afrikaans
|
Already translated.
Translated by Adri de Necker
|
|
|
Author review: Good job! |
|
Dutch
|
Already translated.
Translated by Marlies Perman
|
|
French
|
Already translated.
Translated by Ionica Monticelli
|
|
|
Author review: Beautiful job! Very very fast. Always beating the deadline. Thank you!! |
|
German
|
Already translated.
Translated by Christine Wilhelm
|
|
|
Author review: Wow! Beautiful job! Very fast and efficient! I recommend her greatly. |
|
Greek
|
Already translated.
Translated by Eirini Vlasakaki
|
|
|
Author review: Wow! A perfect job by Eirini! |
|
Italian
|
Already translated.
Translated by Valentina Staffieri
|
|
|
Author review: Beautiful translation! Thank you! |
|
Portuguese
|
Already translated.
Translated by Roberta Oliveto and Weslei Destro de Queiroz
|
|
|
Author review: Wow! Great work. It was indeed beautiful to work with Roberta and her team. Good experience. She is a pleasant and har-working person! |
|
Spanish
|
Already translated.
Translated by Itaipu Moreno
|
|
|
Author review: Good working with you! I recommend you! |
|
Swedish
|
Translation in progress.
Translated by Ann Catrin Mahaffey
|
