So your new one has finally arrived! You must be totally freaked out with happiness and excitement. There must be a lot of concerns for the baby and you must be getting tons of advice from your loved ones. But here are a few bits of information about having a baby that no one must have told you about in the past.
1. Breastfeeding may hurt initially: Even if the mother is doing it just the right way, there are bound to be some problems when she starts adapting to this new process. Breasts can be sore and bloated during the first few days. To reduce the pain, one can use pain killers like ibuprofen. Soon the body will adjust itself and there will be no problem.
2. Breastfeeding will increase your appetite: Because the body has now started to make milk the entire day for the baby, you may experience pangs of hunger. The body demands nourishment after round the clock breastfeeding sessions. The appetite may vary from woman to woman but the borderline is to supply the body with nutrients. It is equally important to take a good quantity of fluids.
3. The diet after delivery needs to be planned carefully: The mother cannot eat everything she wants after the delivery. This is important as there can be problems in passing bowels. It is not pleasant to push the first time after delivery when one has stitches so, to avoid any problems; a lot of clear liquids must be taken. The key is to keep the food simple, nutritious and easy to digest. Soup, juices and milk are good options.
4. You can have unexpected mood swings: It is generally believed that after the baby is born, the mother is ecstatic and the worries have finally ended. But a woman can feel irritated, nervous, anxious, teary-eyed, excited or sad a few days after the delivery. Some women are in a blissful state while some may drop into depression. All these are only for a few days and are considered completely normal.
5. Excessive bleeding: After the baby is born, the mother bleeds continuously for a week or more. It’s like having all those missed periods at the same time. The flow recedes after around 2-3 weeks. Till then, one has to manage using large absorbent pads. It is extremely uncomfortable but the mother has to bear with it for some days.
6. Hair fall: During pregnancy, the female grows more beautiful and develops a rosy glow. Courtesy the pregnancy hormones and the increased blood volume, the hair also become voluminous and shiny. But after the delivery, the mother may experience heavy hair loss. It takes a few weeks to notice the hair fall. Most women tend to have their hair back after 6 to 7 months of the delivery.
7. You have contractions: Postpartum contractions continue to reduce the uterus back to its original size. This process is called involution. The contractions are noticeable only for a few days after the delivery and do not hurt the mother. But they can be vigorous during breastfeeding when oxytocin is released.
8. There can be a lot of sweating: A lot of fluid builds up in your body and needs to be removed. The result is that after delivery, you may sweat excessively. This continues only for 2 or 3 days and is considered completely natural. Drinking a lot of water can help reduce the sweating.
9. Do not expect to reduce to your original size right away: It is obvious that the mother loses weight after the baby is born, but one cannot expect to be, what she was 9 months ago. It is the general belief that one can be expected to look like what she was when 5 months pregnant after the delivery. If the mother takes good care of herself and exercises regularly, she will be back to her normal self in a few more months.
10. Everything seems dangerous: It may seem ridiculous but after a new one enters your family, everything around you will seem risky. You may feel germs all around you, and the fan or the baby’s toys may seem to contain dangerous chemicals. This is just because of your concern for the little one.
11. The real labour begins after labor is over: After the mother has gone through a painful and stressed out state in the labour room just to have the baby, there are more shortcomings yet to come. Taking care of the baby during the first few weeks can be a tough task. The mother has to deal with her own changing body and feed the child the entire day. Post delivery time is just the beginning of sleepless nights for months!
Having a baby changes your life for better. There may be stressful days initially, but the time will eventually go away. Soon your baby will grow up and you may regret not enjoying the days when he/she was an absolute pleasure to have a look at. Keep these facts in your mind to be better prepared for having a baby, so that you may enjoy your early motherhood.