After the Baby is Born

Your baby is finally here!

The joys and challenges of motherhood are about to begin. It is important to remember to take care of yourself as well as your new baby. 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, health care provider, 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 health care provider'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 health care provider 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 also feel constipated. Try to drink plenty of water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Menstrual like cramping also 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 health care provider's instructions on how much activity, like climbing stairs or walking, you can do for the next few weeks. Health care providers usually recommend that you abstain from sexual intercourse for four to six weeks after birth. Before resuming sexual intercourse, talk with your health care provider about your plan for birth control since you can become pregnant again. Know that breastfeeding alone does not protect you from getting pregnant again.

Regaining a Healthy Weight and Shape

Both 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 health care provider 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

In 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 health care provider. If you are extremely sad or are unable to care for yourself or your baby, call your health care provider right away. You might have a serious condition called postpartum depression. Other signs of this condition include:

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.