Baby Diaries,a Guide for New Mothers: Part 3- Mother’s Health
April 23, 2009 by Anne Lyken Garner
Published in Motherhood
This is a guide for new mothers which is not written from a medical point of view because you will have all the help you need from that aspect of things. In this series you will find information about what to expect from your new baby and advice on how to cope with all the novel factors that invariably arise with having a baby for the very first time. This series is not meant to be a medical journal, so please see your doctor or health professional if you have reason to be concerned about your or your baby’s health. In this section we will talk about what to expect from your own body and mind while breastfeeding baby.
The last thing we think of doing just after bringing baby home is looking after ourselves, but in order to have a rich supply of milk for your child, you need to eat right. Many celebrity new mothers put themselves on strict diets so that they can make more money selling their newest ‘How I Lost My Baby Weight’ interviews. I wonder about them, and if they’re thinking in the best interest of their child.
Accept help
It will be hectic at first, but life with the new baby will even out to a nice routine soon after you bring her/him home. Remember that you need plenty of rest because you’ll be losing a lot of sleep. These days fathers are allowed paternity leave, so encourage your husband to take his to the fullest. The more involved he is in caring for baby, the less ‘left out’ he’s likely to feel, so hand baby over whenever you can while you’re both at home full-time with your infant.
Remember that as soon as you hit a routine with breastfeeding, you can start to express and refrigerate (or even freeze) your milk. Breast milk can be kept in the fridge for twenty-four hours and can be frozen for a couple of weeks.
If you have parents or in-laws who’re willing to help, accept offers of cooked meals, cleaning the house, shopping etc. You’ll have plenty of time to do this when they all go back to their own quarters after the new-baby excitement has died down.
What of mother’s physical health
Image by blmurch via Flickr
You should have a health visitor during your first few weeks after leaving hospital. If you have any concerns about your own body or health, they are fully qualified to offer any advice you may need. Don’t feel guilty for pointing out how you feel, because remember that baby’s well-being depends on your good health. You’ll be doing your infant a disservice if you neglect yourself.
It takes about two months after your baby is born to get back to your pre-pregnancy health. And much longer than that to regain the physical and emotional state you were in before baby arrived. There are several different health-related issues to watch out for after giving birth. These are nothing to be worried about as they’re all completely normal.
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April 23rd, 2009 at 11:05 am
Excellent! That was very informative and well written article about new mothers…well done and thnx for sharing
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:05 pm
A great third article, Anne. A lot of women get so caught up in the grind of having a new baby…they forget about themselves.
April 24th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Anne what a wonderful series on new mothers and babies. Excellent write and very informative.
April 24th, 2009 at 7:31 am
informative,lots will benefit on this helpful post
April 24th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
What an informative article on mother’s health! This is essential for new mothers to know.
April 24th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Again, good information. (although I never found breast-feeding or babies all that complicated–just very tiring.) Getting rid of the weight gained during pregnancy wasn’t difficult, either. I think my very worst time with any of my children was my youngest having 24 hours of colic after I ate a chocolate bar.
April 25th, 2009 at 4:27 am
I don’t think I have ever been so tired in my life as in those first few months after giving birth! Another great article, very well written and straightforward practice advice for new mothers.
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Thanks for your comments, everyone. It’s good to have your support.