Working women need extra support to raise preterm babies: Here's what companies, families can do

By Dr Prathap Chandra

Things have changed tremendously in the country in the past few years with families moving from joint living to a nuclear set-up. In the new scenario, mothers of preterm babies, especially working professionals, are under tremendous pressure and stress. When a working woman delivers a preterm baby, she is highly unprepared and probably still has not begun her maternity leave. The cost of NICU care is high. Everyday travel to the hospital and back for the mother raises the costs even more. This also puts a lot of stress on her health as she has undergone hormonal changes during delivery and will also be vulnerable to infections.

COPING WITH THE NICU PHASE

Babies’ health in the NICU usually fluctuates and when they are too tiny, it is scary for the mothers to handle them. Premature babies are delicate and need a lot of professional care and support. Most of them need support for breathing and feeding immediately after birth. They also need to be guarded against infections, which are very common in preterm babies.

When the baby is born under 30 weeks of gestation and weighs much lesser than a baby born after the normal gestation period, the number of days of hospitalisation in the NICU increases to nearly 8-10 weeks. The period of care in NICU is usually up to the time the baby was supposed to be born at full term; so if the baby is born about 12 weeks early, then the period of stay in NICU is nearly that much. Premature babies need much longer support even after discharge than normal-term babies would.

Generally, NICUs do not provide a separate bed for the mother to lie down next to the baby. A new mother needs as much rest as she can get and more so in the case of a C-section delivery. Spending long hours (which is a requirement) sitting next to the baby will not help her health. Reports say that when mothers are stressed out and not properly rested after delivery, they develop post-natal depression and other stress-related health disorders.

IMPACT ON LACTATION
Mother’s milk is essential not only for the baby’s growth and nutrition, but also to help it fight any infection. Babies fed on breast milk have better IQ points. Stress is known to reduce the production of this all-essential mother’s milk. Breastfeeding also confers a lot of advantages to the mother like getting the uterus back to shape and reducing the risk of breast cancer, to name a few.

WORKPLACE WOES
The normal period of maternity leave in the private sector is varied, extendable in some places to about six months. But even six months’ leave is not enough for the mother of a premature baby. Most of her leave gets exhausted when the baby is still in the NICU.

The concept of paternity leave is far from being a norm in our country. When there is not enough support from the family and the workplace is unsympathetic, it forces the new mother to get back to work soon. Mounting bills will pressure her to return to work even when she is not ready.

SOLID SUPPORT SYSTEM NEEDED
.. Fathers of preterm babies need to be supportive of the mother and so do families and workplaces. Both the mother and the baby are fragile and need plenty of care and space to be with each other. Paternity leave is equally important in these cases since the mother cannot do everything — the father has to pitch in as much as possible.

.. A mother should be treated with care and sympathy and taught how to express milk properly. She should also be given a private space where she can do this without feeling embarrassed, especially when she returns to work.

.. She should be able to talk about her problems with professionals, and a majority of mothers would need psychological support to take them through this stressful period. Logistical support should also be provided by the family with respect to her meals and nutrition, and travel.

.. Workplaces should be sensitive to the mother’s problems and give her leave extension, especially since premature babies need a longer period of care before they can be entrusted to another caregiver. The mother will also need to recover from the exhaustion of sitting in the hospital and travelling every day for prolonged periods.

Families, professionals, workplaces and society can do many things to help new mothers of premature babies. An understanding atmosphere will go a long way in helping them deal with the stress of a preterm delivery.

— The writer is Consultant-Pediatrics & Neonatology at Motherhood Hospitals, Bengaluru.

Little Mirza-Malik, Royal Baby No.3 & Other Celebrity Newborns Of 2018

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This year has been all about famous parents introducing their babies to the world, via social media. From baby showers to showing off their little ones’ cribs, celebrities went out of their way to announce the arrival of their little ones.

From royal baby to the heir of Snapchat, this year didn't disappoint us.

Here's a list of all the celebrities who turned parents - some for the first time, and some again, - in 2018:

This year has been all about famous parents introducing their babies to the world, via social media. From baby showers to showing off their little ones’ cribs, celebrities went out of their way to an..

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Babies: Chicago Noel West (Girl)
Date: January 15

The power-couple, Kim Kardashian-West and Kanye West, welcomed their third child in early January via surrogacy. Kardashian-West opted for surrogacy after doctors told her she could bleed to death if she wanted to carry another child. They named their second daughter Chicago after the city where West was raised. The baby girl has two siblings - five-year-old North, and two-year-old Saint.

Babies: Chicago Noel West (Girl) Date: January 15 The power-couple, Kim Kardashian-West and Kanye West, welcomed their third child in early January via surrogacy. Kardashian-West opted for surrogacy..

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Babies: Stormi Webster (Girl)
Date: February 1

Almost 15 days after Kim Kardashian's baby news, sister Kylie Jenner finally introduced her baby daughter to the world. The pregnancy was kept under tight wraps. The reality TV star, who decided to keep her pregnancy with rapper boyfriend Travis Scott a secret, said that it was the most beautiful, empowering and life-changing experience.

Babies: Stormi Webster (Girl) Date: February 1 Almost 15 days after Kim Kardashian's baby news, sister Kylie Jenner finally introduced her baby daughter to the world. The pregnancy was kept under ti..

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Babies: Asher and Noah (Twin boys)
Date: March 4

Actress Sunny Leone and husband Daniel Weber introduced their surrogate twin boys - Asher and Noah - to the world early this year. Less than a year back in July, the couple had adopted a baby girl - Nisha - from Latur in Maharashtra.

Babies: Asher and Noah (Twin boys) Date: March 4 Actress Sunny Leone and husband Daniel Weber introduced their surrogate twin boys - Asher and Noah - to the world early this year. Less than a year b..

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Babies: Prince Louis Arthur Charles (Boy)
Date: April 23

The royal couple welcomed their third child this year. The royal baby's first name, 'Louis', which also appears in father and brother's full names - William Arthur Philip Louis and George Alexander Louis, means a 'well-known warrior' or 'famous in battle'. The couple already have a son and daughter, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, respectively.

Babies: Prince Louis Arthur Charles (Boy) Date: April 23 The royal couple welcomed their third child this year. The royal baby's first name, 'Louis', which also appears in father and brother's full ..

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Babies: Hart (Boy)
Date: May 7

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel and his supermodel-wife Miranda Kerr welcomed their baby boy - Hart - on May 7. The model & actress announced the news on Instagram after 17 days. Miranda already has a son Flynn with ex-husband Orlando Bloom.

Babies: Hart (Boy) Date: May 7 Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel and his supermodel-wife Miranda Kerr welcomed their baby boy - Hart - on May 7. The model & actress announced the news on Instagram after 17 ..

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Babies: Sufi and Soleil (Twin girls)
Date: June 22

Actress Lisa Ray and husband Jason Dehni announced the birth of their twin daughters via surrogacy this year. In various Instagram posts, the actress thanked new dad Dehni for being a hands-on father.

Babies: Sufi and Soleil (Twin girls) Date: June 22 Actress Lisa Ray and husband Jason Dehni announced the birth of their twin daughters via surrogacy this year. In various Instagram posts, the actre..

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Babies: Zain (Boy)
Date: September 5

Shahid Kapoor and wife Mira introduced their second child to the world this year. The couple, who got married in mid-2015, also have a two-year-old daughter Misha.

Babies: Zain (Boy) Date: September 5 Shahid Kapoor and wife Mira introduced their second child to the world this year. The couple, who got married in mid-2015, also have a two-year-old daughter Mish..

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Babies: Arthur Michael William (Boy)
Date: October 15

After the royal baby, Pippa Middleton and James Matthews welcomed their first child this year. While 'Arthur' is Prince Charles & Prince William's middle name, Michael is the name of James's late brother who died at the age of 22 in 1999. Michael is also the name of Middleton's father.

Babies: Arthur Michael William (Boy) Date: October 15 After the royal baby, Pippa Middleton and James Matthews welcomed their first child this year. While 'Arthur' is Prince Charles & Prince William..

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Babies: Izhaan (Boy)
Date: October 30

Tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik were blessed with a baby boy, Izhaan, which means God's gift in Arabic. After taking a break, the tennis champion plans to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In the meanwhile, she has also been flooding Instagram with mummy-and-baby posts.

Babies: Izhaan (Boy) Date: October 30 Tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik were blessed with a baby boy, Izhaan, which means God's gift in Arabic. After taking a break, the t..

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