The first days of your newborn’s life are the most precious. Nothing is more magical, emotional or amazing than seeing and holding your new baby for the very first time.
But, this stage is challenging at the same time. So, you should prepare mentally to motherhood before your baby comes.
One of the ways to prepare mentally is to read more about the postpartum changes of you and your baby.
Here are some facts youshould know before your baby comes:
10 facts you should know before your baby comes:
1- Breastfeeding is hard but possible:
Breastfeeding is a special time for both mother and baby. Breast milk meets all your baby’s nutritional requirements from birth to around six months.
It is specially made for your baby and there are lots of things in breast milk that are good for your baby but which are not found in formula milk.
During the first month postpartum, breastfeeding moms may have some difficulties and up and down.
You may feel that maybe breastfeeding is not for you, or that you aren’t able to.
But believe me, if you look at how wonderful breastfeeding is, you will keep on it.
2- You will miss sleep terribly during the first few months postpartum:
During the first weeks, the newborn will wake up every few hours to feed. They can’t sleep through the night because they have tiny tummies, so they need to wake and feed often.
That’s why the best way to cope with postpartum lack of sleep is to sleep when your baby sleeps. Or at least just lie down and rest.
3- The newborn stage passes very quickly:
The first few weeks after welcoming a new baby is hard, but at the same time are a time of magic and beauty.
Your baby’s newborn days are precious and few, and the last thing you want to feel is like you blinked and missed them.
So, enjoy these moments and try to record it as much as you can because in fact, most mothers will probably tell you they can barelyremember when their baby was this small.
One of the things women regret not doing to their babies is not enjoying the newborn stage and not taking too much photos. So, take the lesson and enjoy it.
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4- You may feel at first as you ruined your life forever:
Whether you are becoming a mom for the first time or the sixth, the days and weeks after your baby’s birth can be as overwhelming as they as joyful and exciting. No matter how much you’ve looked forward to it, or how much you love your baby.
You may feel that your life is ruined forever after having a baby, but believe me it’s only few weeks and you will adapt a new routine that fix your life.
I’m now two months postpartum with my second baby and I feel my life easier than the first days. I returned to my work ( my blog ), and sometimes I enjoy my hobby ( crocheting), and enjoy walking, and cooking some new delicious recipes.
5- Postpartum depression is real and exist:
One of the most common problems among the women in their postpartum period is the postpartum depression, and that because of the hormonal imbalance and the new responsibilities.
It affects 13% to 19% Of women who have recently given birth.
Typically, the condition develops within 4 to 6 weeks after giving birth, but it can sometimes take several months to appear.
It has many signs like:
- Feeling of being overwhelmed.
- Mood sewing.
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities.
- crying a lot.
- Feeling anger.
- Panic attack.
- Feeding guilty.
- Low energy.
- Weight loss or weight gain.
- Changes in sleeping and eating patterns.
- Feeling guilty.
- And in some develop situations: suicidal thoughts.
If you think you may be depressed, the first step is to talk to your healthcare provider.
Anyway, there are some natural remedies for postpartum depression that can boost your mood without side effects, you can simply try.
6- Your baby can identify you by smell:
Your baby will recognize your scent within days of birth! Yes, that’s true!
And did you know babies can smell their mother from two feets away?!
Newborns have a strong sense of smell and know the unique scent of your breast milk. That’s why your baby will turn his or her head to you when he or she is hungry.
7- Dry skin is normal for newborn:
Newborn babies often have dry, peeling skin. Most of the time, newborn skin peeling is normal.
To solve this, you can moisturize your baby’s skin.
After every bath, put olive oil or baby oil on the dried areas. But remember, if you want to use lotion, choose one that doesn’t have perfume or dyes.
Bathing and soap are drying your baby’s skin, so don’t bath your baby too often and use only a small amount of soap on your baby’s skin.
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8- Sickness is normal for newborn:
In the early days after birth, many babies will vomit up mucous from their stomach. And once the baby is taking larger volumes of milk, it’s very normal for him/her to vomit.
However, sometimes vomiting requires immediate attention if:
- Vomit is red, black or green ( not yellow or white ).
- The baby is projectile vomiting.
- The baby is unwell.
- The baby also has diarrhoea.
- The abdomen is distended.
- The baby is dehydrated ( dry mouth, decreased wet nappies, hypotonic ).
- The baby is losing weight.
9- Baby may loss 10% of his weight:
Babies are born with some extra fluids, so it is normal to drop a little bit after birth no matter what or how they are fed, and that’s because they lose that fluid.
A healthy newborn is expected to lose 7% to 10% of the birth weight, but should regain that weight within the first 2 weeks or so after birth.
However, Infant weight is monitored pretty carefully in the hospital. The reason for this is to find if the baby has excessive weight loss and that can indicate a problem with feeding.
10- Always listen to your instincts:
Listening to your intuition helps you understand your baby better. Believe me, you can rely on your maternal instinct to ensure the safety and security of your baby. So, don’t worry about what others think of your parenting style. You are the mom and you know what is the best for your baby.
I would be happy if you share with us any other facts a women should know before her baby comes.
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Love this post so much. I wish I had know these things when I was pregnant. It would have saved me so much grief if I had know these things. Thank you for sharing.
It is true how fast the newborn stage goes. When you are in the thick of it, it’s hard to see, but it does fly by!
All new moms should know these facts and get prepared mentally. Specially about the lack of sleep and postpartum depression. Great post !