A new mother is holding her 2-hour-old son. The delivery occurred on the due date. His Apgar score was 9 at both 1 and 5 minutes. The mother asks the nurse why her son was so wide awake right after birth, and now is sleeping so soundly. What is the nurse's best response?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The second alert phase typically occurs 2-6 hours after birth and lasts for a few hours. During this time, the baby is calm and looking around, but not necessarily feeding actively. It is normal for infants to sleep a lot in the first 24 hours after birth, but they should wake up periodically to feed. It is important for the nurse to educate the mother on normal newborn behavior and sleep patterns. Option A may downplay the mother's concerns and does not provide any helpful information. Option C is not accurate as it suggests the baby will sleep for an extended period of time, which is not typical for a newborn. Option D is not accurate and may cause unnecessary worry about breastfeeding.

A New Mother Is Holding Her 2-Hour-Old Son