san diego midwife information about newborns

Services - Newborn Care

“Among the most important of the newborn infants needs are
the signals it receives through the skin, its first medium
of communication with the outside world”.
- Ashley Montagu, Touching: The Human Significance of Skin.

After the birth and once the family has had time to quietly and privately bond with the baby, your midwife will give the newborn a thorough head-to-toe examination and the weight, measurements and reflexes will be checked. According to the parents’ wishes, an injection of vitamin K and an antibiotic eye ointment can be administered.

La Shel and Jamin will discuss these procedures with you prior to labor and delivery. They strongly believe in assisting and allowing parents to make informed choices. They can assist with breastfeeding and offer baby care advice from swaddling to diaper changing. If the parents choose to have the newborn screening test (PKU) performed, La Shel and Jamin will come to your home on the third day of postpartum and perform the test in a gentle and loving manner.