General
About
About
Why is effective postnatal care so important?
When do most mothers and newborns die in the postnatal period?
What do mothers and newborns in the postnatal period die from?
Physiological changes in the postnatal mother
Complications in the newborn
Your actions in the postnatal period
Evaluating the postnatal mother
Evaluating the newborn baby
Follow-up after immediate postnatal care
Methods for mobilising community action
Establishing partnerships with community gatekeepers
Conducting a community profile
Vagina and vulva
Ovaries
Breasts and initiation of lactation
Excretion of excess body fluids
Looking after the baby
Birth control options
In conclusion
Postpartum haemorrhage
Causes of late postpartum haemorrhage
Pre-referral management of PPH
Puerperal sepsis and fever
Endometritis
Puerperal mastitis
Wound infection
Screening for postpartum hypertension
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Postpartum ‘blues’ and postpartum depression
Home visits: the best opportunity to provide postnatal care
Barriers to facility-based postnatal care
Evidence that home visits improve the effectiveness of PNC
Schedule for postnatal home visits
Personal hygiene
Equipment
Key steps to follow while conducting a home visit
Counselling mothers during the postnatal period
Check the mother's vital signs
Check if her uterus is contracting normally
Clean the mother's belly, genitals and legs
Check the mother’s genitals for tears and other problems
Help the mother to urinate
Eating and drinking in the first few hours
Counselling on postnatal nutrition
Preventing iodine deficiency
Preventing vitamin A deficiency
Preventing iron and folate deficiency
Fathers and other family members can help
When the mother isn’t interested in her baby
Encouraging care-seeking behaviour
Your first actions before assessing a newborn
Screening the newborn for general danger signs
How can you recognise a convulsion in a newborn?
Is the newborn lethargic or unconscious?
Is the baby breathing too fast?
Is the baby’s temperature normal?
Infection in the newborn
What are the signs of eye infection in newborns?
What are the signs of an infected umbilical cord stump?
What are the signs of skin infection?
What is neonatal tetanus?
How can you prevent infection in newborns?
Neonatal assessment check list for critical conditions
Counselling the mother on newborn feeding
Four signs of good positioning
Four signs of good attachment
Benefits to the newborn of breastfeeding
Benefits to the mother of breastfeeding
Breastfeeding and birth control
Counselling the HIV-positive mother about feeding her baby
Replacement feeding and the AFASS criteria
Keeping the baby warm
How to take the newborn's temperature
How do newborns lose heat?
The warm chain principle in postnatal care
Why do preterm or low birth weight babies need special care?
Classification on gestational age
Tips to help a mother breastfeed a preterm or low birth weight baby
Expressing breast milk
Show mothers how to cup feed the baby
Special care to keep preterm and low birth weight babies warm
KMC procedures
Effective referral
The referral link: a two-way street
Knowing about local health facilities
What prevents referrals from happening effectively?
Good documentation
Transport and the emergency evacuation plan
Making sure the health facility knows how to communicate with you