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

Image: A baby is facing 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: Natural delivery.

Image: Cesarean delivery.

Image: Newborn baby.

Breast crawl can be done on full term, stable babies who are-

• born either by natural delivery or by a cesarean delivery
• And who have cried well immediately after birth.

Image: Baby with respiratory problems.

• As they may suffer from respiratory problems like breathlessness.

Delivery room’s temperature is around 26 degree Celsius.

Image: Wet hand of a baby.

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

Remember-

• 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 is to 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.

Image: Baby is facing the mother in Breast crawl position.

Image: Mother’s breast.

• 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 start crawling immediately and some take time.

Image: Baby is latching on mother’s breast in Breast crawl position.

GIF animation: clock.

• 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 poin-t until she takes her first breastfeed.
• Both, the birth attendant 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.

GIF Animation: Clock.

Image: Baby is latching on mother’s breast in Breast crawl position.

Image: Injection and doctor.

• 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.
• Doing so, helps improve the bonding between the mother and the baby.
• However if the mother has taken any medicines please consult her doctor.

Image: Baby is kept on mother’s abdomen

Sometimes it might happen that after delivery-

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

In such cases, after shifting the mother 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.

Image: Birth attendant is holding the baby in breastfeeding position where, baby’s body is on mother’s shoulder and baby’s legs are towards mother’s head and mother is supporting baby’s back.

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

Image: Injections and Ointment.

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

Note that-

Only after completion of 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 milliliters on first day,
• 10 milliliters on second day,
• 25 milliliters on third day,
• 40 milliliters on fourth day and
• 55 milliliters 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.

Image: Mother and baby both are laughing.

• 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 facing 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 reviewers for this tutorial are-

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

This is Nutritionist Rajani Sawant along with animator Arthi Anbalagan from IIT Bombay signing off.

Thanks for joining.