Babys First Week

The first week of life outside the womb will bring huge changes for your baby and for you. As you’re adjusting to being a parent - your baby is getting used to being outside of that warm cocoon they just spent nine months in! You will experience excitement and fear: excitement - because the moment you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived - fear - because you are now totally responsible for this little life. Feeling overwhelmed is normal. Take all the help you can get!

During this time - handle your baby in such a way that life in the outer world doesn’t seem so much different than nine months in the inner world. Warmth - food - affection: these are the only needs your baby has right now. Hold them as much as possible - touching skin to skin builds a strong bond - and feed them when they're ready to eat. They have all the reflexes they need to feed from the breast or the bottle.

Feeding will probably require some effort during the first few weeks. For early feedings - it’s best to find a quiet place with a minimal amount of commotion. It can take newborns some time to get the hang of eating - so make sure you find a place where you can settle in for a while without getting uncomfortable. Take all the time you can to snuggle and stroke your baby during feeding. They will feel all the love you give.

Breastfeeding can be complicated at first. Be patient while you both work it out. It may take as long as several weeks to really start feeling comfortable and establish a feeding routine.

While your little one is experiencing a great deal of change - you are normal if you experience: fatigue - bloody vaginal discharges - throbbing or soreness in the perineal area if you delivered naturally - a lack of sensation or incision pain if you delivered via cesarean - abdominal cramps - mood swings between euphoria and depression - breast tenderness or enlargement - thoughts of inadequacy - and abundant sweating.

This won’t be the time to try and do everything at once. Take all the help that is offered to you - eat regularly - and sleep when you can {which is usually when the baby is sleeping}. Don’t worry! You’ll make it through!