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Mother's Health
Soon after the baby
arrives, all your energy and attention will be
focused on the care and comfort of the baby. You
may consciously want to focus on the baby and
not pay much attention to taking care of
yourself. Inspite of your busy schedule you will
have to make time to take care of yourself. Your
health both physical and psychological is
undergoing a healing process after delivery and
you will have to pay attention to it. Once the
baby has arrived all your family and friends
will want to visit you and your newborn baby.
Having too many visitors just after delivery,
with the new baby can be very stressful and
extremely difficult to handle, whether in the
hospital or at home. It would be best if you
could control the number of visitors you have,
by asking friends and family to space their
visits.
During the initial weeks
after delivery, it is best to accept all the
help you can get in doing the various chores
around the house. It would be ideal if you could
get your mother, mother-in-law, any relative or
friend to stay with you for at least the first
month. This will definitely ease the pressure
off you and will help you get used to having the
baby as part of your routine. The first few
weeks can be overwhelming and some new mothers
just cannot cope with the pressures of having a
new baby. If you have a relative or a friend
staying with you, the pressure on will reduce
considerably as they will pitch in. You may even
find some free time for yourself while they are
taking care of the baby. Here are a few tips to
new mothers to cope with those initial days:
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Take breaks from taking care of the baby as and
when you can. When you do so, don't feel guilty, as it is necessary for
your mental and physical well being. |
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Have your meals regularly.
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Make sure you include fresh fruits and green
vegetables in your meals. |
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Use pre-prepared foods to reduce time and energy
spent on cooking. |
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If friends and family are willing to take over
some of your chores, allow them to do so. |
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Your night's sleep will be disturbed in the
initial days. So learn to sleep whenever your baby sleeps.
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This is a period of great emotional upheaval. Talk
to people who can help and will support you - mother, friend, doctor or
anyone who will give you a patient hearing. |
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If there is a local support group for new mothers,
it would be a good idea to join it or at least attend a few meetings.
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The important thing is to find time to rest and relax. As
a new mother you must not think about anything other than the baby and yourself.
Try to enjoy this new status to the fullest, despite the difficulties.
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