UAE: Home nurses come to the rescue of mothers struggling with newborn care

While everyone is always ready to congratulate a new mother after giving birth, not many are aware of the kind of help she urgently needs.

For many UAE expats — most of whom are living without the support of elder family members — parenthood can be overwhelming, especially in the first few weeks and months of a newborn's life.

This challenge gave rise to a strong demand for midwives' and home nurses' services, said Alka Uttamchandani, general manager of Emirates Home Nursing.

“When a mother returns home with her newborn child, she seeks warmth, support and care from her family. Mothers to newborns who are left on their own could be stressed out, considering that there are a lot of uncertainties about the right things to do for the newborn," Uttamchandani explained.

The weight of responsibilities and anxiety even doubles or triples in the case of twins and triplets.

"As a mother of twins, I was blessed to have my maternal family in UAE to support me throughout this stressful phase of coping with being a new mother, but several new mothers are sadly on their own and home nursing is indeed a blessing in disguise, particularly for new mothers or mothers of twins/triplets," the expert said.

Considering such situations, a number of mothers are now opting for professional home nursing services, she added.

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Home nurses' postpartum services include baby care, breastfeeding tips and classes on how to navigate those critical first weeks of life with a new baby.

These professionals are specially trained in newborn development and help mothers pick up new skills.

Some of the key services include:

>>Diet management: A good diet is crucial to the growth and development of a child. Nurses and expert professionals assist in consistent management of the diet and food intake of the mother and newborn.

>>Physical and emotional care: It is natural for mothers to need extra love and support during the first few months of delivery. Home nursing staff are trained to support mothers and newborns through postnatal pain, sleeplessness, and constant medical check-ups and routine tests.

>>Hygiene care: Hygiene is important for good growth of the baby. The team maintains a regular watch on the hygiene, assists in bath, massage, sterilisation of feeding bottles, and more.

>>Breastfeeding support: Breastfeeding has fantastic bonding experience for mother and the baby. Done properly, mothers will enjoy the warmth and tenderness of these peaceful moments.

>>Miscellaneous support: Every mother has their own unique set of needs and demands and hence the home nursing staff is equipped to assist with 24/7 new-born care, so the mother could get enough rest and eventually get back to the daily chores easily.

• Lifestyle
• UAE