Doula Certification Postpartum Care and Newborn Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the AAP's safe sleep recommendation for newborns?
- Prone (tummy) sleeping on a soft surface
- Supine (back) sleeping on a firm, flat surface alone (Correct answer)
- Side sleeping with pillows for support
- Cosleeping in an adult bed
Correct answer: Supine (back) sleeping on a firm, flat surface alone
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing infants on their backs on a firm, flat sleep surface without soft bedding to reduce SIDS risk.
Question 2: What is skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo care)?
- A diapering technique
- Direct contact between the baby's bare skin and the parent's bare chest (Correct answer)
- A newborn massage protocol
- A phototherapy treatment for jaundice
Correct answer: Direct contact between the baby's bare skin and the parent's bare chest
Skin-to-skin contact involves placing the naked newborn on the parent's bare chest to regulate temperature, heart rate, and promote bonding.
Question 3: What is a postpartum doula's primary role?
- Provide medical care for mother and baby
- Offer non-medical support, education, and practical help to new families (Correct answer)
- Replace pediatrician visits
- Perform newborn clinical assessments
Correct answer: Offer non-medical support, education, and practical help to new families
A postpartum doula provides emotional support, infant care education, sibling care, light household help, and breastfeeding support to new families.
Question 4: What is the typical newborn weight loss expected in the first week?
- No weight loss is expected
- Up to 7-10% of birth weight (Correct answer)
- More than 15% of birth weight
- Up to 20% of birth weight
Correct answer: Up to 7-10% of birth weight
Newborns typically lose up to 7-10% of their birth weight in the first few days as excess fluid is shed and feeding establishes.
Question 5: What does a normal newborn stool look like in the first 24 hours?
- Yellow and seedy
- Dark green to black and tarry (meconium) (Correct answer)
- Brown and formed
- White and chalky
Correct answer: Dark green to black and tarry (meconium)
Newborn stools in the first 24-48 hours consist of meconium—dark, greenish-black, sticky material accumulated during fetal life.
Question 6: What is cluster feeding in newborns?
- Feeding multiple babies simultaneously
- Frequent, closely spaced nursing sessions often occurring in the evenings (Correct answer)
- Scheduled feeding every 4 hours
- Formula supplementation strategy
Correct answer: Frequent, closely spaced nursing sessions often occurring in the evenings
Cluster feeding is when a newborn nurses very frequently for short intervals, often in the evenings, to stimulate milk supply and satisfy growth needs.
Doula Certification Postpartum Care and Newborn Care 2
What is the AAP's safe sleep recommendation for newborns?