Newborn
Finally, your big moment came…and your little baby came out! Here's a glimpse at your newborn's first week of life.
As excited as you are to meet your brand new baby, don’t be surprised if you’re bowled over by a whole range of emotions. It can be an incredibly terrifying feeling, not knowing how to look after a teeny tiny baby. What if you hurt her? What if you don’t feed her enough? Can you do any damage by pushing her arm into that sleeve (wasn’t that vest made for a doll?) Take comfort in the fact that there are thousands of adults, who were first-borns, who aren’t maimed or suffering from life-long conditions because their parents were just as terrified as you are right now.
Relax, enjoy your baby and allow your natural instincts to kick in. I’ll all become second nature.
Your newborn baby isn’t going to be much fun for several weeks. She’ll pretty much spend most of her day sleeping. You’ll find yourself staring at her, sleeping in her crib and wishing her awake. After all, you’ve waited 9 months for her and you want some attention!
Your baby will probably look a little puffy or skew, as her little body recovers from the birth and adjusts to being out of your womb.
She may also have a “stork bite” on her head or face; a bruise from the delivery that could take up to a year to totally vanish.
As your baby gets used to feeding, she may lose up to ten percent of her birth weight. Don’t worry about that, as she’ll quickly put that weight back on. Just keep an eye on her weight over the next few weeks, and make sure that she does start gaining weight again. If you’re concerned, talk to your healthcare provider.
Your job right now mom, is to get used to this new little person and look after yourself. A relaxed mom equals a relaxed baby.
If you’ve chosen to breastfeed, now’s the time to get a handle on this.
