The wait is over and it’s time to take your baby home. But remember that your life will never be the same again. You need time to adjust to your new role and new responsibilities, such as caring for your baby. So don’t turn down offers of help.
In some cultures, a woman spends the postpartum period in bed, giving the mother time to get to know her baby and the body time to repair itself. For some of us this is an unavailable luxury, for others it is a nightmare. However, in general, getting plenty of rest and focusing on the new baby is a good approach.
Try not to worry about housework, even if there are many visitors. You can even ask your partner for support to take control of this. With the birth, your first priority is now baby care.
So how should baby care be done and what should be considered?
Physician/Nurse Service
In some areas, local government services for baby care and health are very helpful for new mothers. Although the visiting procedures or these services may vary depending on your location, usually the midwife or nurse in charge at the family doctor’s office will answer your questions about baby care and you can be visited at home by them. They will also call you for your baby’s routine check-ups and vaccinations. During this period, you can also get support from your family medicine nurse by phone.
Your Baby’s Bath
Baby bathing is often thought to be the most difficult part of the baby care process. You just need to take some precautions before and during the bath. Make sure that the room you are bathing your baby in is not cold, as newborns lose heat rapidly. Have your baby’s towel ready and make sure that the bath time does not exceed 10 minutes. It is not necessary to bathe newborns every day. A newborn baby’s skin is sensitive. It is also important to have some knowledge about baby care. For example, tap water can cause your baby’s skin to dry out, so it may be appropriate to ‘wipe’ your baby for the first few days. Using a cotton ball dipped in boiled and cooled water to wipe your baby’s face can reduce the risk of eye infections.
Umbilical Cord Care
To speed healing, you should always make sure that your baby’s umbilical cord is clean and dry. An odor from the umbilical cord or sticky or bloody umbilical cord may be a sign of infection. If this happens, you should contact the midwife/nurse or your doctor. The umbilical cord is expected to fall off after about a week.
Baby care is intensifying. Enjoy these days!
The first few weeks with your baby will be a time when you have a good excuse not to get up and get dressed, to wait for your meals to be ready and to get plenty of rest. Perhaps this will be one of the rare times in your life. So make the most of this special time with your new baby.
As a mother, do not neglect your own care and health during this time. Take care of your own hygiene and have regular check-ups with your doctor to ensure proper baby care.