You could feel a whole range of emotions – from blank exhaustion to total elation. If this is your first baby, it may even feel a little strange to be home. You may have an overwhelming sensation that life has changed forever. What was exclusively an adult home before the birth is now your family home, complete with the extra little person you've brought into the world. However much you've prepared yourself, by buying all the baby stuff and contemplating parenthood, you may still find you have to make a huge adjustment. You may even feel a little anticlimactic. One thing plenty of new mums feel, though, is worry about how their newborn is doing. It's perfectly normal to spend hours watching your baby, not just to revel in his perfect features, but to check that he's breathing all right! Oh, and forget night and day. You'll be focused on supplying your tiny baby's needs, and that's a round-the-clock job in the early days. You may have fallen utterly in love with your baby straight after the birth. But it's also perfectly normal if you need a little time to develop that deep attachment. You may simply feel too tired after your baby's birth to bond with him straight away. Or perhaps you had a long labour, or a difficult birth, and this has affected your feelings. Take things slowly, and try to have as much skin-to-skin contact as you can with your baby. Your newborn has a powerful sense of smell and touch, and will love nuzzling with you and bonding in this way. Depending on how your birth went, you may or may not have a visit from your midwife in the first 24 hours you're home. But if you have any questions, do call your midwife. She'll be expecting to get calls from new mums. What will happen to my body? Your body has done an amazing job of bringing your baby into the world. So it's normal to feel worn out, sore, and a bit weepy. This is all a reflection that over the next few days your body will go through big changes. That's the case however you gave birth and however you plan to feed your baby. You'll experience bleeding, called lochia, which will be like a heavy period at first. The bleeding should tail off after six weeks. You'll probably need to wear a sanitary towel for heavy days to absorb the flow of blood. Many women experience constipation after their baby's birth. Try to eat high-fibre foods, and drink plenty of water. If things don't improve, you could ask your midwife to recommend a laxative or stool softener. Some women develop signs and symptoms of a complication after the birth. Your midwife will give you information on what to look out for and how to get urgent maternity care, if you need it, once you are home. Your body is dealing with fluctuating hormone levels, and is seriously sleep-deprived, while your mind is adjusting to this new stage of life. Try not to let these discomforts get you down. You've gone through an amazing nine-month journey, so give yourself some time to recover. http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a25005135/how-youll-feel-in-the-first-24-hours-of-being-a-mum#ixzz3ozt632ot

Promote Entry