 	        			The joys and challenges of motherhood are about to
begin. Remember to take care of yourself too!
Caring for a new baby can be fun but it is also
hard work. How much and how often should you feed
the baby? What do you do when the baby is crying,
or sick? How do you prevent accidents? These
questions can be overwhelming at first, but you
will quickly adjust. A new baby needs constant
care, but you will be skilled at taking care of
your child in no time. There are people out there,
including your family, friends, doctor, and
support groups, that will help you get through it.
You are not alone.

You have experienced nine months of changes in
your body. Those changes will continue in the next
couple of months as you decide whether or not to
breastfeed and as your body starts to recover from
having the baby. It is important to follow your
doctor's advice and take care of yourself during
this time.

Getting Rest

The first few days at home after having your baby
are a time for rest and recuperation, physically
and emotionally. You need to focus your energy on
yourself and on getting to know your new baby.
Even though you may be very excited and have
requests for lots of visits from family and
friends, try to get as much rest as possible.
Don't expect to keep your house perfect. You may
find that all you can do is eat, sleep and care
for your baby. And that is perfectly okay. Learn
to pace yourself from the first day that you
arrive back home. Try to lie down or nap while the
baby naps. Don't try to do too much around the
house. Allow others to help you and don't be
afraid to ask for help with cleaning, laundry,
meals, or with caring for the baby.

Physical Changes

After the birth of your baby your doctor will talk
with you about things you will experience as your
body starts to recover.

    *

      You will have spotting or bleeding, like a
menstrual period off and on for up to six weeks.
    *

      You might also have swelling in your legs
and feet. You can reduce swelling by keeping your
feet elevated when possible.
    *

      You might feel constipated. Try to drink
plenty of water and eat fresh fruits and
vegetables.
    *

      Menstrual like cramping is common,
especially if you are breastfeeding. Your breast
milk will come in within three to six days after
your delivery. Even if you are not breastfeeding,
you can have milk leaking from your nipples, and
your breasts might feel full, tender or
uncomfortable.
    *

      Follow your doctor's instructions on how
much activity, like climbing stairs or walking,
you can do for the next few weeks.
    *

      Doctors usually recommend that you abstain
from sexual intercourse for four to six weeks
after birth. Before resuming sexual intercourse,
talk with your doctor about your plan for birth
control since you can become pregnant again.
Breastfeeding alone does not protect you from
getting pregnant again.

Regaining a Healthy Weight and Shape

ScaleBoth pregnancy and labor can affect a
woman's body. If you are trying to lose some
additional pregnancy weight, make sure you do it
in a healthy way and consult your doctor before
you start any type of diet or exercise plan. If
you want to diet and are breastfeeding, it is best
to wait until your baby is at least two months
old. During those first two months, your body
needs to recover from childbirth and establish a
good milk supply. Then when you start to lose
weight, try not to lose too much too quickly. This
can be harmful to the baby because environmental
toxins that are stored in your body fat can be
released into your breast milk. Losing about one
pound per week (no more than four pounds per
month) has been found to be a safe amount and will
not affect your milk supply or the baby's
growth.

You can safely lose weight by consuming at least
1800 calories per day with a well-balanced,
nutritious diet that includes foods rich in
calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6, and folate.
Diets in which you consume less than 1500 calories
per day are not recommended at any point during
breastfeeding. This can put you at risk for a
nutritional deficiency, lower your energy level,
and lower your resistance to illness.

Feeling Blue

Mother and her babyIn addition to the physical
changes to your body, you may feel sad or have the
"baby blues." This can be a very normal phase
following childbirth. Fifty to 75 percent of new
mothers feel a little sad or depressed after
giving birth. Your hormone changes, your feelings
of anxiety about caring for a new baby, and your
lack of sleep all will affect your emotions. Be
patient with yourself. These feelings are normal
and should get better over time. Be aware of your
feelings and continue to talk with your family,
friends, and your doctor. If you are extremely sad
or are unable to care for yourself or your baby,
call your doctor right away. You might have a
serious condition called postpartum depression.
Other signs of this condition include:

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      feeling restless or irritable
    *

      feeling sad, depressed or crying a lot
    *

      having no energy
    *

      having headaches, chest pains, heart
palpitations (the heart being fast and feeling
like it is skipping beats), numbness, or
hyperventilation (fast and shallow breathing)
    *

      not being able to sleep or being very tired,
or both
    *

      not being able to eat and weight loss
    *

      overeating and weight gain
    *

      trouble focusing, remembering, or making
decisions
    *

      being overly worried about the baby
    *

      not having any interest in the baby
    *

      feeling worthless and guilty
    *

      being afraid of hurting the baby or
yourself
    *

      no interest or pleasure in activities,
including sex

This condition can be successfully treated with
medication or therapy which can help you feel
better and get back to enjoying your new baby.
Click here for more information on postpartum
depression.

Infant Safety

Since 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics has
recommended that infants be placed to sleep on
their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant
death syndrome (SIDS), also called crib death.
SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby
under 1 year of age. Even though there is no way
to know which babies might die of SIDS, there are
some things that you can do to make your baby
safer:

    *

      Always place your baby on his or her back to
sleep, even for naps. This is the safest sleep
position for a healthy baby to reduce the risk of
SIDS.
    *

      Place your baby on a firm mattress, such as
in a safety-approved crib. For more information on
crib safety, call the Consumer Product Safety
Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or visit their web
site at www.cpsc.gov. Research has shown that
placing a baby to sleep on soft mattresses, sofas,
sofa cushions, waterbeds, sheepskins, or other
soft surfaces raises the risk of SIDS.
    *

      Remove soft, fluffy, and loose bedding and
stuffed toys from your baby’s sleep area. Make
sure you keep all pillows, quilts, stuffed toys,
and other soft items away from your baby’s sleep
area.
    *

      Make sure everyone who cares for your baby
knows to place your baby on his or her back to
sleep and about the dangers of soft bedding. Talk
to child care providers, grandparents,
babysitters, and all caregivers about SIDS risk.
Remember, every sleep time counts.
    *

      Make sure your baby’s face and head stay
uncovered during sleep. Keep blankets and other
coverings away from your baby’s mouth and nose.
The best way to do this is to dress the baby in
sleep clothing so you will not have to use any
other covering over the baby. If you do use a
blanket or another covering, make sure that the
baby’s feet are at the bottom of the crib, the
blanket is no higher than the baby’s chest, and
the blanket is tucked in around the bottom of the
crib mattress.
    *

      Do not allow smoking around your baby. Don’t
smoke before or after the birth of your baby and
make sure no one smokes around your baby.
    *

      Don’t let your baby get too warm during
sleep. Keep your baby warm during sleep, but not
too warm. Your baby’s room should be at a
temperature that is comfortable for an adult. Too
many layers of clothing or blankets can overheat
your baby.

Some mothers worry if the baby rolls over during
the night. However, when your baby is able to roll
over by herself, the risk for SIDS is reduced.
During the time of greatest risk, 2 to 4 months of
age, most babies are not able to turn over from
their backs to their stomachs.


This page last updated: October 2004
Source: Womenshealth.gov