* * *

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".

5. In the first days after birth, the child does not gain weight, but, on the contrary, loses it – maybe a lot, maybe a little. Don't be nervous – that's how it should be.

6. Do not worry too much about the fact that you cannot influence when and how long to feed him, what to dress him in, who his roommates are. Don't be nervous! It is almost impossible to spoil a normal living being in a week.

7. Вы, скорее всего, услышите много страшных слов таких, например, как «асфиксия», «обвитие пуповины», «нарушение гемо-ликвородинамики», «энцефалопатия» и т.д. и т.п. Все эти состояния излечиваются и не часто дают ощутимые последствия.

Возможно, упомянутые слова будут относиться именно к Вашему ребенку, но, придя домой, Вы не обнаружите в нем никаких болезненных черт. Конечно, можно возмутиться и спросить: а зачем тогда пугать только-только родившую женщину, зная, что у нее может исчезнуть молоко, нарушиться сон, пропасть аппетит и прочее? Не обижайтесь, пожалуйста. Новорожденный ребенок мало предсказуем. И каждый врач знает, ни о каких стопроцентных гарантиях речь не идет. Это ж кому хочется услышать: было все хорошо, так они угробили! А они не гробят. Они получают то, что Вы им родили, – не лучше и не хуже. И стремятся сразу Вам сообщить, мол, не все хорошо, чтоб потом от Вас же не выслушивать.

И мы все, все общество, в этом виноваты, потому что привыкли всегда и во всех собственных бедах искать крайних. Кто хоть когда-нибудь возмущался по поводу высокой температуры в палате для новорожденных? Никто и никогда! А упаси Боже будет холодно – растерзают. Хотите тепла – нате! И дома Вы обнаружите у ребенка опрелости – зато было тепло! Не простудился…

Как это природа умудрилась придумать биологический вид, рожающий детенышей, которые могут существовать только при температуре не ниже 22 градусов?[17]

Таким образом, родильнице [18] предстоит решить три главные задачи: