49: Prevention Tips for Mothers After Child Delivery

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Q: During the pandemic period, do mothers need postnatal doctor’s visits? 

 💁Tracy:  Mothers and newborn babies should follow doctor's advise on receiving postpartum care.
In order to reduce face-to-face contact, you can consult your doctor and postpartum care team to make a plan, which may include telephone consultation or online consultation.

If you have to visit your doctors physically, you should take prevention measures, such as wearing masks, washing hands, keeping social distance, and follow other recommendations by your doctor as much as possible. If you have to take your baby for such sessions, please take extra steps to protect the baby as well according to your doctor's advise. If you or the newborn start to develop symptoms related to COVID-19, contact your doctors immediately.


Q: Do mothers with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 have to be separated from their newborns? Can they keep nursing?

 💁Tracy: Mothers with COVID-19 related symptoms can try to do the following:

(1) Contact your health-care provider to discuss the need for separation of mother and baby, breastfeeding and other feeding options.
(2) Clean hands, arms, breasts, face and any other parts of the body before holding or touching the baby, wear a mask when breastfeeding, regularly wash and disinfect any objects touched by and used for the baby.

(3) If you choose to use a pump or hands to express breast milk, or if you choose to use formula to feed the baby, make sure to wash your hands, clean breasts, and sterilize any objects in this process.
(4) You may also arrange family members or nanny to take care of the baby while you recover. Afterwards, you can resume taking care of the baby but please continue to take all the preventive measures.


💁Tracy’s Tips：
Vaccination plans for newborn babies
Some vaccines have more strict vaccination schedule than others. Please discuss this with your pediatrician and make a vaccination plan according to the specific situation of the baby.


References
[1] WHO recommendations on Postnatal care of the mother and newborn 2013
[2] WHO：Q&A on COVID-19, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding
[3] UNICEF: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): What parents should know how to protect yourself and your children.
[4] Harvard Health Publishing: Coronavirus Resource Center:As coronavirus spreads, many questions and some answers
[5] The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): Novel Coronavirus 2019(COVID-19)Practice Advisory
[6] American Pregnancy Association:Baby blues
[7] CDC: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and Breastfeeding: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/maternal-or-infant-illnesses/covid-19-and-breastfeeding.html
[8] CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/downloads/parent-ver-sch-0-6yrs.pdf
Writing: Li Siyi; Proofreading: Helen Shih, Jie Chen, Suzhen Jiang; Artwork: Mo Qiong

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