Congratulations, the time has finally arrived. The pregnancy is over and you have your beautiful bundle of joy. You’ve been given the ‘all clear’ to go home, and so motherhood begins.
Here are some helpful tips on how to make things a little easier because even though this is an extremely exciting time, it can also be an exhausting time. You need to take good care of yourself so that you can be the best Mom you can be.
- Accept help. Help comes in many forms from the interfering ‘helper’ to the genuinely well-meaning helper. Trust your instinct and you will know which help to accept. Allow people to bring you cooked meals. Allow friends and family to help make the tea and clean up after their visit. You are not expected to be an entertainer with a new-born. Your priority is you and your baby. Have a code word with your partner so they can show your guest out when you are tired or have had enough.
- Have your kitchen well stocked. If you haven’t been able to do this during the last few weeks of your pregnancy then now is the time. Send your partner out to get everything you need so that you don’t have to make any unnecessary trips to the shops. Try to get snacks that can be easily eaten with one hand (healthy ones of course) so that you can tend to baby and eat at the same time. Fruit, muffins, health bars, and pre-cut veggies are great one hand snacks.
- Know who your support team is and have their numbers on speed dial. Examples are your partner, your Mom or sister or a great friend, your baby clinic, your doctor, the maternity ward and your trusted pharmacy, Thrive. It is so much easier to have numbers available rather than not knowing who to call should you need to. Discuss your support team with your partner so you are both in agreement who you would like help from.
- Rest when your baby sleeps. A baby’s job is the first few weeks is just to eat, sleep and dirty nappies. Please don’t take on too much as you will need a lot of rest. As soon as the baby goes down for a sleep, then try to have a good nap yourself. The washing up can wait or be done by a visitor. People are not coming to inspect your super clean home and give you a critic, they are coming to see you and your new baby.
- Remember to take your multivitamins and calcium that was prescribed during your pregnancy.
- Remember to drink plenty of water and eat well. Don’t try that
post pregnancy diet yet, you need extra calories whenbreast feeding . - Get all the help you need with
breast feeding . It is much easier solving anybreast feeding issues early. - You cannot spoil your baby in these first weeks. Don’t listen to people who say you can. Baby’s love to be cuddled and grow better if they are close to a warm body. You can even do skin to skin cuddles. They also settle so well listening to your
heart beat . This helps so much with bonding (and partners can do it too!). Respond to your baby’s cry’s quickly and observe their facial expressions and the way they cry, this helps you get to know your baby. Soon you will be an expert on what each cry means. - Make yourself aware of the signs of baby blues and
post natal depression. These are feelings of irritability, anxiety, severe exhaustion, food not tasting like it normally does, wanting to sleep more or battling to sleep. Knowing these signs can ensure you get all the help you need early. If you feel you need help consult your baby clinic sister or your family doctor. - Don’t ever compare yourself to other new Moms. Take every day as it comes and
give yourself credit for the fabulous job you are doing!
Sr Tori is available at Thrive every Wednesday morning by appointment for all our new moms and babies. Sr Tori specializes in helping new moms and babies and is an expert at offering supportive caring advice that is both helpful and practical for mom to implement. To book your appointment with Sr Tori email info@wethrive.co.za
Thrive offers a wide range of natural and organic skincare, bodycare, vitamins and supplements for new moms and babes. Pop into Thrive and speak to our trusted team to find out more.