At
the second week of baby
Nature
of Babies , the First Days
For
many mothers the idea of coping with the baby on their own can seem quite
frightening. Also, most babies sleep a lot during the 48 hours after the birth,
and going home from hospital may coincide with her having wakeful periods or
crying and fretting a lot. This can make the new mother feel she is doing
something wrong.
Remember
that you have to keep contract with a health adviser every day until the baby is ten
days old. If you have any
worries, it can help to write them down so that you remember to ask when you
meet with her. It would be nice if you can meet the adviser while you are having any
particular difficulty , so you can sort out the problem on the spot.
Most
newborn babies will have fretful periods in the day of evening; if you are
breast-feeding, do not automatically assume that she is crying because she is
still hungry. A newborn baby will look around for the breast even when not
hungry because the breast is her main source of comfort. If your baby is crying
for no apparent reason, and has been fed recently, try walking around
with her in a carrier or sling or held close to the body, or swaddle
her and rock her in a pram or cradle, A lullaby tape or a musical box may have a
soothing effect. Some small babies are unusually wakeful and may just like
to be walked around and talked to rather than left in their cradle.
POSTNATAL
BLUES
In
the first few days, try to get friends, relatives or your partner to cope with all the
necessary chores in the house while you concentrate on yourself and the baby,
and on getting the rest you need.
Many
mothers feel weepy and emotional in the first days or weeks after the
birth. Some women find they have a weepy period around the third or fourth day, which
is when the milk comes in; this can be partly explained by the changing
hormone levels in your body.
You
may find getting back to your normal routines at home stressful in itself
, especially if the house is untidy or disorganized and there is work to do.
Visitors can also prove too much at times, especially if you were wanting some
time to yourself. Don't be afraid of saying 'I must rest now' when the baby has
gone to sleep. At least make
a rule that visitors make the coffee and clear up afterwards.
Occasionally
a mother continues to feel depressed of weepy after the birth of a baby, and may
need to talk this over with a doctor or health
visitor.
