The New Baby Is Here! Surviving The First Few Weeks of Motherhood
We were so thrilled to hear the news of the safe arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s little boy over the bank holiday after what seems to have been a long pregnancy for Meghan. With the Duke himself stating that the baby was overdue its no doubt that Meghan although likely to be elated will also be feeling somewhat delicate. As with any new mum it’s common to feel exhausted and emotional and there will be bits of your body that are sore and tender. So, for all new mums out there we have Jane Mason, registered midwife and founder of The Natural Birthing Company’s top 10 tips on surviving that first week of motherhood!
You arrive home with your baby and you’re not sure where to begin! There’s so much to do – you feel like you’re constantly feeding/changing/soothing and if you’re lucky you manage to nip for a quick wee in between!
But remember that your body has been through the equivalent of running a marathon to give birth, and if you’ve had a caesarean section then in effect you’ve had major surgery. So, it’s really important that you also think about yourself, listen to your own body and give attention to your own needs. After all happy mummy equals happy baby so here are our top ten tips for those early days of Motherhood.
Eat healthy balanced meals where you can; this will help your body to recover and produce a good milk supply. (Enlist the help of your friends and relatives on this one if you can!)
Drinking plenty of water will help your body to heal itself, prevent constipation and assist in your milk supply; every time you feed your baby have a drink yourself too.
Get rest when you can because we all know that babies love to be awake during the night! There’s little point in trying to fight it in the early days so work around it by having rest where you can, daytime naps, going to bed early or having lie-ins.
Make sure you look after your “lady-bits” too - keep everything clean and dry, change pads frequently and always wash your hands both before and after going to the toilet.
Forget the rubber/foam ring; this does more harm than good by allowing your perineum to sag in the middle of the ring!
Start pelvic floor exercises as soon as possible as it helps the area to heal.
Use a soothing postnatal solution such as “Pure Bliss” or “Bottoms Up” to soothe, calm and promote the healing of your intimate area or caesarean section wound following birth.
Take things steady in the early days and pace yourself; but don’t let people wait on you hand and foot either because you need to keep mobile to help your body heal and reduce the risks of DVT’s.
Don’t put off going for a number two; your stitches won’t burst open –try holding a clean sanitary pad up against your vaginal area to support yourself whilst you strain; it just gives you a bit more confidence.
Enjoy short walks with baby in the pram. It lifts your mood to be able to get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air.
Bringing your baby home is a steep learning curve for any new mum! There is so much goingon and in the middle of it all you can be sat there on one bum cheek with your boobs throbbing, trying to get your baby to feed whilst people race to bring the baby presents and expect to hear the nitty gritty details of the birth whilst they sip your tea & eat your bourbons!! I want to give new mums the confidence to think about themselves in all this mayhem; there’snothing wrong with letting people know that you, your partner and baby need some time –some people refer to it as the 4th trimester!”
Jane Mason – Founder of Natural Birthing Company & Registered Midwife.
Using her extensive Midwifery knowledge and experience, Jane Mason founded the Natural Birthing Company in 2014. The range has since gone on to win a series of awards for its development of pre and post pregnancy products including the Pure Bliss Postnatal Compress Solution £16.99 and Bottoms Up Soothing Spray £9.99 both available at Boots, Holland & Barrett and Amazon. For more information about the range please visit wwwnaturalbirthingcompany.com
