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- Congratulations -
The first few days of your baby's life are an exciting time,
but can also be a little frightening as well.
To help in the early days at home, you are entitled to at
least six home visits from your LMC after the birth of your
baby, but you can request more home visits if you feel that
you need them.
Your baby will have had his/her first Well Child Check
within 24 hours of birth. Now, when your baby is one week
old, your LMC will repeat this check and record the details
in your child’s Well Child book
Your LMC will also check on you, so if you have any
questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If you have chosen
to breastfeed, it may be helpful to let your midwife observe
a feed so she can check that baby is latching well.
SLEEP - A newborn may sleep as much as 16 hours a day
(or even more), often in stretches of 3 to 4 hours at a
time. Newborn babies don't know the difference between day
and night yet — and their tiny stomachs don't hold enough
breast milk or formula to keep them satisfied for very long.
They need food every few hours, no matter what time of day
or night it is.
FEEDING - Once your breasts start to fill with milk
they may feel uncomfortable or painful for a day or so. If
you're breastfeeding, it will help to feed your baby as
often as he or she needs. You might also like to apply a
warm cloth just before a feed to help relieve the
engorgement. If you intend to bottle feed from the start you
needn't do anything but, on the third or fourth day, your
breasts may be tender as the milk is still being produced.
Wearing a firm, supportive bra may help. Speak to your LMC
if you are very uncomfortable.
RECOVERY - The day after birth, you may ache all over
from the work you did in labour. Your arms and legs may be
sore from pulling back on your legs while pushing out the
baby.
Perhaps the most common feeling of new mothers after
childbirth is that of being bone-tired. This seems
especially true of women who have just had their first
babies. Often, fatigue is combined with such excitement in
the first days that sleep is difficult. The usual aches and
pains of the early postpartum period can make it even harder
to sleep. But beyond the first few days after birth, most
women find daily naps are essential to their well-being.
AFTER A C-SECTION - Each woman recovers in her own
unique way after cesarean birth, just as after vaginal
birth. Pain medications can help during the first few days.
The nurses will assist you in getting up the first time,
learning to cough or huff to keep your chest clear, dealing
with the gas that can follow surgery, and learning to hold
your baby in ways that are comfortable for you. If
assistance is not available when you need it, press your
call button and ask for help.
REMEMBER - Becoming a
good parent means much more than knowing a lot about babies.
Ask pediatric doctors or nurses what it was like for them to
be new parents. They will tell you that all their knowledge
about babies was not enough to keep them from being over
whelmed by their own babies. All new parents feel the same
way. All new parents work at knowing, understanding, and
loving their babies. Your baby will work just as hard at
learning to know, understand, and love you. This is the
process of attachment-the work that parents and babies do
together to form a deep and lasting love. It is what
becoming a family is all about
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