After the birth when you are released from hospital, those first few days at home are important for both baby and parents. First time parents can easily feel overwhelmed. Parents having just gone through the intense process of childbirth can be emotionally and physically drained. Fathers can feel a huge burden of responsibility and mothers are often exhausted and have huge hormonal changes occurring in their bodies which can affect there mood and general outlook. It is important in those first few days that you try and limit the amount of visitors and well wishers, it will take some time for you to establish a new routine and to prepare for your new lives together.
First time mothers should pay particular attention to their feelings, some “baby blues” is to be expected with the hormone changes and it is important to realise that these feelings are quite normal and will fade over the first few weeks. However, if you feel that you are more depressed than you expected and these feelings persist for more than a few weeks you should discuss this with your doctor as you may be suffering from “postpartum depression” (sometimes called postnatal depression). Symptoms to be on the look out for include:
- Overwhelming feelings of sadness, depression and isolation.
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness, thinking you don’t deserve a baby.
- Having extreme feelings towards your baby, ranging from lack of interest to obsession.
Coping with a newborn baby can be hard work, especially for first time mothers in the first few days at home. It takes time adjusting to your baby’s sleep routine. Having a baby is a wonderful and life changing experience, but it can also be a challenging one. To avoid or reduce the “baby blues”, try and get as much rest as possible, take a nap every time baby is asleep. Get friends and family to help with housework. Take advantage of any visitors by letting them look after baby for a little while why you take a bath or have a little personal time. Take it easy on yourself, don’t try and rush to get your life back to normal as quickly as possible. However don’t completely neglect exercise, when you feel up to it, start taking gentle walks with your baby, exercise, fresh air and simply getting out of the house will work wonders for both of you. Try to eat healthily, you need lots of nourishment as a new mother, especially if breastfeeding. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables along with plenty of water is recommended. You may also find it helpful to meet up with other mothers and discuss how you are feeling, you may find that you are not alone and many of them also struggled to cope in those first few weeks.
In terms of crying some baby’s are better than others, but most mothers will experience times when the baby is crying and they are unsure what to do for the best .The fact is your child could be crying for any number of reasons, the most common reason is hunger, with the second most common reason being indigestion/wind or colic pain. Often babies will swallow some air while feeding which can make them uncomfortable and therefore they will cry. It is a good idea after every feed to carry the baby upright and pat on back gently until they burp (place a towel over your shoulder for this as often baby will regurgitate some milk along with the burp – you have been warned!).
Other common causes of crying include:
- being uncomfortable – a soiled nappy, itchy nappy rash or restrictive clothing can cause crying in many babies. Ensure that your baby’s nappy is always clean make sure clothing is comfortable and loose fitting.
- Being too hot or cold – try and keep a steady temperature in your home, some babies will cry when exposed to sudden temperature changes when they are being bathed or changed.
- Lack of attention or physical contact – some babies cry as they want almost constant reassurance and cuddles. It is important that you find the right balance in this situation as you don’t want your baby to come to expect cuddles any time of the day or night or you will never et any sleep!
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Contrary to popular belief, it is a myth that bottle-formula and breast feeding are equally good. Mother’s milk is superior to any other milk as it has been refined by nature over millions of years to provide everything your baby needs. There are certain components in mother’s milk that help the baby fight illnesses while also promoting growth and development that simply cannot be replicated. Breast fed babies are less prone to illnesses and childhood diseases and frequently show faster growth and better brain development than those fed on store bought formula. The incidence of allergies such as eczema and asthma are also greatly reduced. In addition, breastfeeding is better for mums too, breastfeeding helps your body to recover and loose that excess weight!
If possible, the first feed should be given within a few hours of birth, however this is not always possible for a number of reasons so don’t get unduly worried if this is the case. Avoid giving the baby any pacifiers or water bottles in the early days of breastfeeding as this will confuse the baby.
Don’t try and rush breastfeeding, a baby can take 30 minutes or more on each breast, so make sure you are comfortable and relaxed. You can hold baby sitting upright in a cuddling position, or lying down on your side, whichever feels more comfortable. Make sure when you position baby the gums are on the the top of the areola rather than the nipple itself to reduce soreness.
There are no hard and fast rules about how often or how much you should feed your baby, just let the baby decide when feeding is required. Generally speaking babies will simply release the breast once they have had their fill. READ MORE
In their enthusiasm, it is all to easy for new mothers to wash babies too often and dry the babies sensitive skin. you should bathe the child just 3 times per week but thoroughly clean the nappy area every time you change the baby. For the first 2-3 weeks a sponge bath is recommended, gently clean the baby with lukewarm soapy water and a damp cloth or sponge with the baby laid on a clean towel. Make sure you don’t use a perfumed soap, stick to hypo-allergenic brands.
After the first few weeks baby will be ready for the first bath, use a small basin filled with lukewarm soapy water and place baby in the basin sitting upright, ensuring that the baby’s chest is well above water level. Then gently clean as you did with the sponge bath. You can now wash the baby’s hair once a week taking care to keep soapy water away from the eyes. When washing your baby’s ears, wash the outside only, never be tempted to clean inside the ears with a cotton bud as this can cause damage.
For changing your baby you should make up a pack containing all the essentials, such as nappies; changing tables; baby powder (talcum – non fragranced); rash ointments such as E45; Cotton balls; Baby wipes or cloths; Changing pads and towels.
When it comes to deciding which type of nappies to buy, most mothers choose disposable nappies due the convenience. However re-usable nappies can be a lot cheaper, but will mean you will be almost tied to your washing machine until baby is potty trained. As far as the baby’s health is concerned, there is no difference, it really is a matter of personal choice. To change your baby’s nappy, lay a fresh nappy on the changing table, place the baby on top of the nappy with tummy facing you, then gently unfasten soiled nappy and pull away from baby so that you can wash the genitals and buttocks with baby wipes or cotton balls and dry the area. Apply cream if necessary. The remove old nappy and wrap new nappy fastening tabs securely. Many babies will suffer nappy rash at some point no matter how thoroughly you clean and dry them, do not worry unduly or engage in self recrimination, simply apply rash cream to soothe the area and always ensure you thoroughly wash and dry the affected areas every change. Some mothers like to leave their baby’s without nappies for a while after removing the soiled one to help keep the skin dry and help heal the rash. However, if nappy rash persists for long periods or looks like it may be infected then consult your doctor.
The therapeutic effects of massage on adults have been established for many years, but it is only recently that people have realized that children also benefit enormously from massage techniques. In other parts of the world such as Africa, Asia and South America, women have been massaging their babies for hundreds of years. The practice is now becoming recognized in the West and in the UK today it is even possible to have massage services offered for your baby under the NHS (National Health Service).
Baby massage seems to offer a practical solution to problems with crying, sleeping, feeding and behaviour. Through massaging their babies, first time parents can gain confidence in handling them. Parents who used massage to soothe and calm their babies reported their children seemed happier, calmer, cried less and slept better. In the case of mothers suffering from postnatal depression there is growing research evidence that infant baby massage helps to establish the relationship between them and their babies.
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