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Every pregnant woman looks forward to the pregnancy glow, followed by the fairytale of bringing your baby home. Bringing your newborn home is probably the Best Feeling in the world. Whilst this is followed by all the excitement after the 9 month wait, there are many questions that may require answers, guidance and you may quite often need a helping hand.
The first 24-48 hours after the birth is generally spent in the hospital or place of birth, with nursing assistance and guidance. You would generally follow the routine of the hospital. When bringing your baby home for the first time a cascade of overwhelming emotions may unfold, as mums feel a load of responsibility juggling between their newborn, their family, their daily routine and often neglecting their own needs.
Settle in and get enough rest and sleep. Remember that you deserve to be spoilt after a long 9month journey so don’t feel guilty about sitting for long periods of time or sleeping during the day. Try and delegate responsibilities, get the extended family to help for the first week, get a helper if possible. Try and ignore the household chores. Frozen, pre-cooked meals done during the last trimester would be exceptionally helpful during this time.
Your breast might become hard and full as your milk flows in when you get home. Stitches on the tear, episiotomy site or ceasar site may pull and feel tender. Your baby may also have a tinge of yellow on the skin colour and eyes.
You may become tearful and feel emotionally drained. A lack of sleep may exacerbate this feeling, so it is vital to nap during the day. Babies can be irritable, or cry especially toward the evening whilst other babies may not wake up as often for feeds.
You may start feeling a little better. If feelings of tearfulness tend to get worst over the next week, please consult with your health care provider.
Your nipples may crack, or bleed even when latching is perfect- nipple care starts during the last trimester of the pregnancy. Applying oils or nipple cream prenatally and postnatally after each feed will assist with healing.
Start practicing the kegal exercises to train your bladder and strengthen the pelvic muscles.
If there are haemorroids-prescribed ointments from your obstetrician can be used, ice packs, witchhazel on the pad can ease the discomfort. A high fiber diet, increased fluid intake and a balanced diet will assist is keeping the stool soft.
A full body massage might works wonders! If this is possible, you may contact a postnatal doula or masseuse for a postnatal home massage. Your postnatal bleeding would have decreased substantially. Overall pain would have decreased.
If there is excessive bleeding, or clots
If the discharge is offensive in smell
If the caeser site, episiotomy, or tear seems to ooze with discharge.
If there is a spike in temperature, fever or an increased pain.
If there is an increased amount in tearfulness, anxiety, anger, feeling of inability to cope, difficulty in sleeping or depression.
Once the 10 days have passed, you are likely to be more relaxed and fall into your own routine. Allow 4 -6 weeks for your body to heal. Avoid strenuous activity, eat a balanced diet, drink lots of fluids and rest as much as you can. Your baby will change on a daily basis and will even start making eye contact with you. Take time out to enjoy those precious moments. Laugh allot, smile often and enjoy those moments.
Ruwaida Moola has been practising midwifery since 1999, working in various hospitals and clinics. She currently practices midwifery with Genesis as her main birthing clinic. She has practising rights at Garden City Clinic, Oxford Rd Day Clinic, Brenthurst Clinic and Parklane Hospital and utilizes these hospitals as the emergency back-up hospitals.
She works closely with Obstetricians, Doulas, Chiropractors, Homeopaths, Herbalists, Reflexologists, Acupuncturists, Psychologists, and Paediatricians and believes in a multi-disciplinary approach. I also practice as a senior fertility sister at the BioART Fertility Clinic. She is a Registered Nurse and Fertility Nursing Sister, Nurse Educator and Advanced Midwife.
Find Ruwaida at www.miraclebirths.co.za.
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