The main thing is not to panic, try to listen to what you are told and, if possible, follow the instructions of the person who is delivering the baby as accurately as possible.

Less initiative. Extra brains are the main obstacle when it comes to childbirth (it is not surprising that women with higher education and the intelligentsia generally have a harder time giving birth).

We will not describe in detail the rules of behavior during childbirth (there is plenty of literature on this issue). After all, we are interested in the maternity hospital as the place from which the life of a child begins, and this book is dedicated to the interests of the latter, in fact. Very, very much of what happens in maternity hospitals is not unequivocally correct. But there is no reason to start a discussion, because, I repeat, you and I cannot influence the situation and will most likely give birth in an ordinary state maternity hospital. It should be mentioned that in the very, very recent past, any woman who dared to give birth outside the maternity hospital caused feelings of pity and angry bewilderment from the public. At present, the situation has begun to change – at least the state maternity hospital has ceased to be the only and non-alternative place where a child has the right to be born.

On the one hand, there are not state-owned, i.e. theoretically free, but practically paid maternity hospitals, on the other hand, there are significant advances in the maternity hospitals themselves - they let dads who want to see and get sick, they organize "joint rooms", where the child stays with the mother immediately after birth. In some large cities, "interest clubs" have sprung up, preparing pregnant women for home birth, naturally under the supervision of medical professionals.

The ongoing changes have their pros and cons. In the delivery room, instead of helping a woman in labor, unconscious fathers are pumped out; in the "ward of cohabitation" there are not a mother and child, but five mothers and five children, and so on. And if a pregnant woman has no health problems (not a narrow pelvis, a normal position of the fetus confirmed by ultrasound, etc.), then why not give birth at home, where it is more comfortable, where there is less stress. And if after childbirth there is strength and mood to be together with the child, then why not? But why is it if the new mother feels bad, if there is postpartum depression, if the child is restless?

In any case, wherever we give birth and no matter what experiments are conducted on us, our ultimate goal is the same: to get home with the child as soon as possible.

After all, at home, the responsibility for the baby falls entirely on the shoulders of parents, who have the opportunity to act not in accordance with the instructions and orders of the Ministry of Health, but in accordance with logic and common sense. At the same time, a week spent in the hospital can have a very negative impact on the mother, so there are still some things you need to know.

* * *

So:

1. One of the most important tasks is to preserve breast milk. Its amount depends not on the size of the breast, but on the mother's nervous system. Try, I beg you, try not to be nervous. This is very difficult, because you will be told a lot of "good" things about you and your child, and even your roommates will share their fears. If you are very scared, you should know: women who have given birth and have never heard about any of their own or children's abnormalities during their entire stay in the maternity hospital simply do not exist. Maybe there are such women somewhere, but we don't have them. At the same time, almost all sick and abnormal people return home sooner or later, becoming normal and healthy.

2. The sooner the newborn is attached to the breast, the better (optimally - right in the delivery room) - this fact has been convincingly proven by physiologists and doctors. Firstly, the irritation of the nipple itself during sucking contributes to the contraction of the uterus, which, immediately after childbirth, is very important. Secondly, the first drops of milk – colostrum – contain substances that "trigger" the development of the immune system and normal digestion, preventing the occurrence of allergic reactions and intestinal disorders in the future.

Nevertheless, in hundreds of maternity hospitals, children are brought for the first feeding on the second or third day, or even later. This is motivated by the fatigue of the mother, the weakness of the child, the possibility of some congenital diseases in which breastfeeding is dangerous, and it takes time to clarify the diagnosis. In fact, the real reasons for not breastfeeding immediately after giving birth are very rare. Ways to solve the problem are a confidential conversation between future parents and the doctor who decides on the time of the first feeding - the pediatrician of the maternity hospital. It should always be remembered that not feeding immediately is a less risky and less responsible decision, and the remuneration of a pediatrician in no way stimulates him to make responsible decisions. Therefore, if you are given a baby to feed in the delivery room, then either everything is fine with your baby, or you are surrounded by excellent specialists, and both are just wonderful. If the child was not given, then this is not a cause for concern at all. The reasons can be very different. Obstetrician-gynecologists, for example, are always on duty around the clock and in all maternity hospitals, but neonatologists[16] are not always and not in all. An obstetrician-gynecologist does not always want to take risks and make a decision on feeding, which should be made by a pediatrician. In the end, please do not be nervous – they did not give and do not need: millions of children, who were brought to feed only on the second or third day, live for themselves, pleasing their parents.

3. Do not worry if the baby is reluctant or sluggish – of course, inform the doctor about this, but do not panic yourself. If, from your point of view, he was carried away without eating enough, then, believe me, he will not be allowed to die of hunger.

4. On the second or third day after birth, your baby will definitely turn yellow – maybe a lot, maybe a little. Don't be nervous – this is how it should be, and this is called "physiological jaundice of the newborn".