Surviving the First Few Months after Birth
When you were pregnant for the first time, you probably couldn’t wait to hold your baby and see him face to face. Nine months seemed like such a long wait. You wanted everything to be ready for that little bundle of joy. Now that your baby has finally arrived, you must be full of wonder. Most new parents express disbelief at the profound feelings that their baby stirs in them. It is hard to believe that someone so small can dominate your world entirely.
For first-time parents, the initial months after your baby’s birth are the ones that require the most adjustment. It takes a major step to fully transition from being an unattached person to being a mother or a father. Sure, marriage is an attachment of sorts, but it does not in any way compare to that of parenthood. While your spouse may be a significant part of our life, he or she still has a distinct personality and does not need to literally depend on you for everything. An infant is quite another matter. Your newborn baby depends on your love and care for his survival.
Even if you have some prior experience taking care of babies, having your own is still overwhelming at times. Remember how before, when you got tired of carrying your nephew you would simply pass him back to his parent? It is now your turn to be the main care provider.
Cheer up though; it won’t always be this hard. At this point, your baby is probably sleeping a lot and feeding whenever awake. Most likely, you are being woken up every two to three hours throughout the night for feedings and changing a lot of diapers in between. Your baby seems very fragile at this stage, with such a tiny body and no head control. The good news is it won’t always be like this. Your baby will eventually develop and so will you. The more you spend time taking care of your baby, the more confidence you will have in your ability to take care of him. Before long, you will cultivate motherly intuition, which will guide you in determining what is best for your child. Just give it a few more months and your infant will soon feed with longer intervals, allowing you to sleep more than two hours at a time. As he becomes more aware of himself, his surroundings and the people around him, he will learn to be playful and affectionate. You will soon feel how it is to be the center of his universe, one of the most rewarding experiences that motherhood can bring.
If at any time after giving birth, you experience depression or an unusual inability to bond with your baby, do not hesitate to speak up to someone about it. Sometimes, postpartum depression does occur, and a new mother will need medical attention and lots of family support.
Joana Chrystal Ventura-Moises RN is also our resident expert on plumbing and apron sinks. Aside from giving practical parenting tips, she also contributes blogs about the home improvement niche.