Have you delivered a baby recently? Congratulations on entering motherhood. You kept your baby in your womb for 9 months, took care about everything you could so that you and the baby both are safe. But, the journey isn’t over yet. Taking care of yourself doesn’t end here, you still need to keep various things in mind so that you can keep yourself and the baby healthy and happy.
Patience is the golden rule that you need to apply. All the sleepless nights and restlessness is going to make you so tired and exhausted which will in turn cause frustration. Do not worry it is very natural and it happens with a lot of other women. It is very important to keep your calm and deal with patience. Just tell yourself that it is going to pass, once the baby gets into the routine your life will also get back to normal. So just have a little patience and everything will fall in place.
2) Weight gain or loss
Around 60-65% women are worried about their weight gain after delivery. You can’t exercise for the first few months after you have delivered your baby as you are still not physically fit to carry out exercises. You can however consult your doctor and ask for his advice about how soon can you start exercising to lose that pregnancy weight. It is normal and you will be able to get back to your pre pregnancy weight soon. Also some women do lose weight instead of gaining after delivery which happened in my case. However, it is as you are feeding the baby. All your nutrients and iron that you consume is taken away by the baby at the moment. Breast feeding can actually help women in losing that pregnancy weight.
3) Depression
If you are a new mother it is very common that you will feel irritated and frustrated a lot of times. You might have these sleepless nights as you have to get up everytime for feeding your baby and for a diaper change. Being a mother, you are the first point of contact for the baby and he will be completely dependent on you for everything. This makes you tired and restless due to which a lot of women feel depressed as their life revolves only around the baby. It is completely alright to feel this way but you will get use to it with time and once the baby grows up in a few months they will fall into a routine. Also by looking at yourself with all the stretch marks you feel depressed and underconfident. Do not hesitate to ask for help from your spouse or a family member. Talk to them about how you feel. After the arrival of the baby, you are so occupied that you do not even get time to spend with your partner. Try and take out sometime with your partner and do not feel guilty about it if you are unable to do so. It’s just a matter of some months and then your life will get back to how it use to be.
4) Breast engorgement
After a few days of breast feeding, your breasts start making more and more milk. Your baby’s appetite is less at this time and hence the milk stored in your breasts caused swelling of your breasts which is also called as breast engorgement. This might be painful and also there might be some spillage. Inorder to reduce the pain you can give a light massage to your breasts with oil and bring it down to your nipples. You can also use cold or warm compress to lower down the pain. After every feed the swelling will automatically reduce and the pain will be reduced too.
5) Eating healthy for Milk supply
Eating healthy doesn’t end after your pregnancy period. You are still required to eat healthy and drink lots of water as you will be feeding your baby. A lot of women have decreased milk supply due to which the baby’s appetite is not met. If the baby is still hungry he will become cranky and irritated. If you have a proper diet you will have proper supply of milk. If you still do not have sufficient supply of milk you can introduce formula milk to the baby.
6) Breast feeding and baby food
It is advised that you feed your new born for atleast 6 months. The baby gets all the necessary vitamins, calcium and iron from the breast milk which is sufficient for the baby to grow in a healthy manner. However, in cases where women have low supply of milk they can introduce formula milk after consulting the doctor. You can start introducing solids to your baby but not before 4-6 months. The initial food given should be in the form of liquid followed by mashed foods and pulps. With my experience, I would suggest you to always choose to feed your baby for minimum of 6 months as it is best for the little one.
7) Rest and sleep
As a new member has arrived in your family, who would need all the attention and care it gets difficult for you to take care of yourself due to all the change in dynamics of your life. However, you need to take equal care of yourself and take proper rest so that you do justice in taking care of the baby. You can take small naps during the day when your baby is asleep too. Sleep whenever you feel you have time. Even if you are not feeling sleepy just lay down for a while and let your body rest.
8) Exercise
You are not allowed to workout for a few months of delivering a baby as you are still not so fit physically. At this time your body needs rest to recover from all the medications and stress of delivery. However, you can take short walks and do the household chores which will also help to make your body a little charged up. Make sure you do not lift any heavy objects except your baby. If you feel fit and think you can start to exercise consult your doctor before doing so.
It is a beautiful yet difficult phase for a woman to deliver a baby. Do take the necessary precautions and care so that you do not face problems in the future. Stay fit and healthy, eat healthy, drink plenty of water and spend lots of time with your little one. It is great to see your baby grow with all the small gestures they do and the way they smile is going to get a wide smile on your face too.