Ah, pregnancy has been an emotional rollercoaster filled with the wonder of watching your belly grow, seeing the ultrasounds and no doubt, enjoying the peace and quiet that comes before baby comes home. You have read many articles on pregnancy and how to deal with the day to day while baby is in-utero but, have you prepared for the time right after baby arrives? The first six weeks?
If you have on rose-colored glasses, you may think that bringing that sweet smelling baby home will be a piece of cake, that the baby will sleep at night and respect your schedule.
After all, the parents rule the roost, right? Well, in essence, wrong. Baby from birth to six weeks is really not going to adhere to any schedule or ‘learn’ to sleep at night. Parents justhave to use this time to get to know baby and together, parents and baby settle into a “routine” that fits all of them, but most of all, the baby.
Let’s face it going through labor and childbirth is hard, hard work. And now, with that behind you, you still have many days, weeks and months ahead full of hard work on adifferent scale. But especially the first six weeks. Some women go through a type of shellshock. After the having the house and spouse all to yourself, suddenly there’s a little pintsized person demanding most all of your time. If you begin to feel stressed, seek some help with a doctor or with a family member or friend. But for most women, this is just an exhausting time that needs some adjusting to.
The memory of the first six weeks of my first two children is a bit fuzzy. Mainly because with my son he preferred to sleep all day, and stay awake all night, and I was trying to be a super mom by keeping house by day and dragging myself into staying awake at night.
With my daughter, I had a c-section and was on pain medication for part of that time yet I seemed to bounce back quicker with her. Must be something about those second and beyond babies! But, more than anything, expect to be tired and expect to receive some help from “dad”, from a relative, from anyone who cares to offer.
And if you’re not able to have help then pace yourself.
Childbirth is very strenuous whether you give birth vaginally or by c-section, allow yourself the time to heal and to recuperate. Sleep when the baby sleeps and let that pile of laundry go, let those dishes sit, and believe me, if someone doesn’t come along to do it for you, it’ll keep! Sleeping patterns may change, things are different now. Keep on telling yourself that you will get used to having a baby in the house, and that everything will settle down. Eventually it really will! And you will feel awake and alive again. Be kind to yourself and focus on that new life you just brought home. Get to know the newcomer.
This is a critical time for Mom and Dad to bond with baby.
Speaking of Dad, even though you’ll feel pulled in all directions, try to carve out a little “cuddle” time with him. Lean on him and let him take care of baby too. A lot of new and exciting things will occur within this time frame, first bath, first smile, etc. Enjoy each moment to the fullest and live in the moment, because the little one will grow up all too soon and the moment will be lost forever.