Postnatal Care: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Postnatal care is extremely crucial for the new born baby and the mother as both maternal and infant deaths usually occur in the first few hours of giving birth. The child needs constant care and attention from the mother where early and exclusive breastfeeding, providing hygienic skin and umbilical cord care, keeping the baby warm should all be prioritized. In the postnatal care treatment period, the child and the mother are not to be sent home as the first 24 hours is extremely important. A number of practices help reduce the risk for the child and the mother during these hours. This treatment includes the assessment and counseling for the mother prior to the discharge from a health facility. The key elements in this treatment include counseling and educating the mothers about any possible danger signs and what steps should be taken immediately in times of need.

Postnatal care is extremely important for children who are born to early or too small. Babies who suffer from different kinds of infection or are asphyxiated during the time of delivery need immediate postnatal care. In order to keep the child and mother safe from any kind of danger, postnatal care is of utmost importance.

In the postnatal care session women are informed about the methods of taking care of the baby right after giving birth. The mother along with the partner and the family are instructed about the same. The session informs the concerned about the possible danger signs which should be noticed and how to deal with a situation demanding immediate care. It also considers the needs and concerns of depressed postnatal women.

The counseling session assesses the situation right after birth and tries to identify the problems which may arise during the crucial hours. Postnatal examination helps the medical examiner to identify if there is anything unusual with the baby or the mother. For childbirth at home, the mother and the baby should get the postnatal examination at the earliest, preferably within 24 hours of the delivery. For women who give birth in a medical facility, the examination should be done before discharge. Women should be informed about the importance of having someone around and prioritizing postnatal visits along with being punctual about such visits. The importance of eating healthy and getting enough rest and sleep should also be stressed upon during these examinations.

Since this session focuses on providing information to women about taking care of their newborns and identifying signs of danger, there is no side effect to the procedure.

Postnatal care session is done immediately after the delivery or within the next 24 hours of child birth. This session does not need any recovery period as such.

The price for postnatal treatment can go up to Rs 30,000 in many facilities.

Postnatal care session is a counseling and examination session which is needed for the new mother and infant, right after birth. Since postnatal care is mostly a counseling session, the key points should be kept in mind only for the period after giving birth.