Difference between revisions of "Health-and-Nutrition/C2/Breast-crawl/English"

Title slide

Image: A baby is looking at the mother’s face in breast crawl position.

Image: Importance of breast crawl for the baby.

• What is breast crawl
• Procedure for breast crawl and
• Importance of breast crawl

Image: Birth attendant is keeping the baby on the mother’s abdomen.

Image: Baby is trying to take the breast in her mouth in breast crawl position.

Image: A baby is latching on the mother’s breast in the breast crawl position.

Soon after delivery,

Upon placing her on the mother’s bare abdomen-

• she can find her mother’s breast and initiate breastfeeding.

This entire process is called breast crawl.

Image: Cesarean delivery.

• born either by natural delivery

• or by a cesarean delivery

• And who have cried well immediately after birth.

Delivery room’s temperature is around 26 degree Celsius.

• Clean her entire body thoroughly except the hands with a clean dry cloth.

• The baby’s hands should be kept wet.

• Do not remove the protective white coating on her skin while cleaning.
• It protects the baby if the weather is cold.
• After cleaning the baby remove the wet cloth.

• The birth attendant should feel pulsation of the cord.
• Once it stops pulsating, she should cut the cord.

• Next, reposition the baby on her mother’s bare abdomen in such a way that-
• Her tummy touches the mother’s tummy.
• Her head is placed between mother’s unwashed breasts.

• Her mouth is below her mother’s breast.
• Now the baby is positioned correctly for breast crawl.

Image: Leg movements of a baby while crawling.

• she can easily crawl forward towards mother’s breast.

• Next thing to do is-
• cover the baby and mother together with a clean dry cloth to keep them warm,
• place a cap on the baby’s head.

Please note-

• We have not shown the cap and cloth in subsequent images.

• This will help us to clearly observe the position of the baby during breast crawl.

• make the mother support the baby's back with her hand.

• Baby is very alert and instinctive after delivery.

• The smell of her unclean hands stimulates her to salivate.

• Also the baby, with her limited vision, can see her mother’s face and the areola.

• Areola is the dark area around the nipple.

• Using her hands and legs, she gradually crawls towards her mother’s breast.
• However, some babies starts crawling immediately and some take time.

• Upon reaching the breast, the baby first tries to grasp the breast with her hands.

• Do not disturb the baby and the mother at this point until she takes her first breastfeed.
• Both, health worker and the mother should have patience during this procedure.

• A baby may take 30-60 minutes to reach upto the mother’s breast for her first feed.

• baby will open her mouth wide

and attach deeply to her mother’s breast.

• After finishing the feeding, let the baby be in the same position for an hour or so.

Image: Injection and doctor.

• Doing so, helps improve the bonding between the mother and the baby.

• However if the mother has taken any medicines please consult her doctor.

• Sometimes it might happen that after delivery-

• mother will have to move from the delivery room to another room.

• Give skin to skin contact to mother and the baby immediately,
• by placing the baby on the mother’s abdomen as discussed earlier.

To do so:

Babies should be placed on their mother's chest instead of the abdomen in such a way that-

• Baby’s legs should be towards mother’s head.
• The chest and tummy should be on mother’s shoulder.
• And mouth should be on the breast.

baby’s body is on mother’s shoulder and baby’s legs are towards mother’s head and mother is supporting baby’s back.

• Allow the baby to suckle on the breast as long as possible in the operation theatre.

• Immediately after delivery skin to skin contact is most important than any other newborn care.

Only after completion of the breast crawl, post delivery newborn care should be given.

Image: Colostrum.

Image: Outline of baby’s gut.

Image: Baby is kept on mother’s abdomen.

Image: Baby and the mother.

• breast crawl enables the baby to get mother’s first milk called colostrum.

• It is yellowish in colour and thick in consistency.

Image: Mother’s breast.

Image: 5 Spoons filled with colostrum.

• Note that, after delivery-

the quantity of colostrum that the baby will consume during each breastfeeding session will increase gradually.

Baby will consume -

• 5 ml on first day,
• 10 ml on second day,
• 25 ml on third day,
• 40 ml on fourth day and
• 55 ml on fifth day from each breast in each breastfeeding session.

Therefore baby should not be fed anything apart from colostrum.

• Colostrum is considered as the first vaccination for a baby,
• And contains infection fighting protein which boosts the immunity of a baby.

• It is the first source of energy for a baby after the mother’s delivery,
• Colostrum also prevents low blood glucose level.

• It helps to maintain other body processes of a baby.

• It supports healthy brain development,

• It helps the baby to pass her first stool.

• breast crawl also keeps

the baby warm due to skin to skin contact with the mother.

• Baby self-learns how to attach deeply to her mother’s breast.

• breast crawl passes on mother’s healthy bacteria to her baby,
• These bacteria enter the baby’s gut and fight infections.

• Ultimately this boosts the immunity of the baby.

• breast crawl also provides a feeling of love and security to a baby and
• Initiates the bond between mother and her baby.

• Leg movements of a baby puts pressure on her mother’s womb,
• this pressure helps in uterine contraction and in removal of placenta.

Image: Placenta is coming out.

• Initiation of breastfeeding increases oxytocin in the mother’s body,
• the rise in oxytocin helps in removal of placenta too.

Thus, breast crawl reduces

• the blood loss and
• prevents anaemia in mothers.

Image: Lower number of blood cells which is interpretation for anaemic adult.

• Anaemia is a condition where number of red blood cells goes down,
• It could lead to fatigue and weakness in the mother.

This brings us to the end of this tutorial on breast crawl.

Image: A baby is looking at the mother’s face in breast crawl position.

Image: Importance of breast crawl for the baby.

• What is breast crawl
• Procedure for breast crawl and
• Importance of breast crawl

Image: IIT Bombay logo.

• the Spoken Tutorial Project, IIT Bombay

Image: MHRD, Government of India logo http://spoken-tutorial.org

• Spoken Tutorial Project is funded by NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.

• More information on this mission is available at this link.

The domain reviewer for this tutorial is

• Dr. Rupal Dalal, MD Pediatrics and
• Dr. Taru Jindal, MS Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

This is NutritionistRajani Sawant along with animator Arthi anbalagan from IIT Bombay signing off.

Thanks for joining.