A nurse is providing discharge information to a postpartum client should teach the following three points:
Hands should be thoroughly washed before breastfeeding.
The client should be informed to empty her breasts completely with each feeding.
Nipples should be allowed to air dry.
Postpartum refers to the period following childbirth. Within a few days of giving birth, most mothers experience the "baby blues," or feelings of sadness or emptiness.
The newborn blues typically disappear in 3 to 5 days for most mothers.
You may have postpartum depression if your baby blues persist or if you feel depressed, hopeless, or empty for more than two weeks.
Women who exclusively breastfeed may get their first postpartum period six weeks after giving birth, a year or more later, or even 18 months later.
Hands should be thoroughly washed before breastfeeding. The client should be informed to empty her breasts completely with each feeding. Nipples should be allowed to air dry.
