10 healthy practices for expectant mothers and fathers to follow before and after birth

1. Regularly visit your nearest health care facility while pregnant

Make sure you receive at least four antenatal (before-birth) visits from a health care professional.
Ask your health worker about when to come for antenatal care.
Learn about danger signs in pregnancy like bleeding, fever, swollen hands and feet, and blurred vision.
If your partner is pregnant, make sure you go with them for regular check-ups.

2. Plan for your baby’s delivery

To avoid complications, plan for your baby to be delivered at a health care facility by a skilled birth attendant, which can include a midwife, nurse or physician. A skilled birth attendant can:

deliver the baby safely;
recognize any potential health complications and danger signs early on;
advise the mother and her family about actions to take in case of any health complications;
and manage and refer the mother and newborn for treatment if needed, at the appropriate health facilities.

3. Take care of your mental health and well-being before and after giving birth

Women go through emotional, physical and psychological changes like gaining weight and losing self-confidence during and after pregnancy. There is no shame in seeking help.
Speak to a family member or friend about what you’re going through. You could also join a mothers’ group or an association of women with children to connect with other mothers.
Talk to your skilled birth attendant or a community health worker for support.
It is important for both fathers and mothers to play an active role in raising their child. This also includes supporting one another and sharing the workload.

4. Taking care of your new-born baby

It is advised to put the child on the mother’s chest immediately after birth. Gently soothe, stroke and hold your child. Smiling and talking to the baby at this time are good for stimulation.
Keep your baby warm, and have skin-to-skin body contact with the baby.

5. Breastfeed your baby immediately after birth

Make sure your baby is breastfed within one hour of birth and is only fed breastmilk for six months - not even water.
Colostrum, a mother’s first breastmilk, is packed with nutrition and antibodies to protect babies from diseases. Breastmilk is your baby’s first vaccine and will give your baby the best start to life.
Identify a support person before time – spouse, family or friend - to help the mother breastfeed her baby.
When breastfeeding, look at the baby in the eyes, smile, talk or sing to him/her. This is important for their development and in establishing a loving bond and relationship with your child.

6. Start introducing soft foods when your baby reaches six months

Feed your six-month-old baby a variety of freshly prepared for up to two years or longer.
Start by giving them soft, mashed or semi-liquid foods.

> 6-8 months: Give 2-3 meals per day, like yogurt, kheer and porridge.

> 9-23 months: Give 3-4 meals per day, like finger food or a slice of fruit and vegetable, along with 1-2 additional snacks.

> 2 years: Your child will learn to self-feed and have meals, like roti with gravy.

If they are sick, offer more fluids
Talk to your child while feeding them and respond as they make sounds

7. Make sure that you and your child are getting the right amount of micronutrients.

Micronutrients produce enzymes and hormones that play an important role in healthy growth and development.
Getting micronutrients like vitamin A, iron, minerals, zinc and folic acid, either in diet or through supplements is important for both the mother and baby.
Iron helps in the development of a baby’s brain cells and provides a positive boost to brain development. It also helps you reduce fatigue, weakness, and anemia, which can cause complications during delivery. Iron deficiency can result in low birth weight babies and can increase the chances of diseases in newborns.
Iron folate is highly recommended for lactating mothers during the first months after giving birth.
The multi-micronutrient powder is essential for children between 6 to 23 months old and should be given in addition to food. You can get it from a grocery store or pharmacy.

8. Understand the danger signs and know when to seek medical attention

Recognize the danger signs in your new-born and take them to the health care facility for immediate treatment.

Some danger signs to be aware of are, if your baby is:

Not feeding properly;
Their skin colour is turning blue or purple;
Experiencing body convulsions;

Having trouble breathing;
Being lethargic;
Has a very low or very high body temperature; or
Has ten or more pustules (small bumps on the skin that contain fluid or pus) on the skin.

9. Register your baby’s birth as soon as possible and get a birth certificate.

Getting your new baby registered is very important. It is legal proof of a child’s birth, parentage and place of birth, establishing citizenship and national identity. It also helps your child access basic services like healthcare, child protection and education, as well as future employment and financial assistance.
Register your new baby at the nearest union council/village council or through digital birth registration.
Birth registration is the responsibility of parents and caregivers, and is a legal obligation and a fundamental right of the child.

10. Practice safe family planning

Make sure there are three years between the births of your children.

Birth spacing helps the mother to recover from her previous delivery. If a mother does not wait for at least 3 years for her next pregnancy, she can face many complications like a low birth weight baby, hemorrhage or birth-related complications.
Spacingpregnancy by three years can support a child’s optimum health, growth and development. A family with proper birth spacing can give proper attention to children and house, leading to a positive and healthy home environment.
Avoid unplanned pregnancy by using appropriate contraceptive methods. Ask your local healthcare worker for more information.