One thing you can be sure of when it comes to giving birth – whether having a one-hour labor and delivery, a cesarean section, or a long labor, when you get home things will have changed. You will soon discover that all your free time is gone. Dinner is no longer the main priority, and cleaning house slows down, and overall, life changes. This is perfectly normal. After all, you have a newborn in the house, someone that demands tons of attention, albeit good attention.
We strongly recommend that you use assistance, especially during the first two weeks. If you are close to your mother or mother-in-law, ask her if she would come to the house to stay for at least a week. During this time, she can offer her own expertise on childrearing, while giving you a much-needed break. Typically, the husband will take one week off, which means the second week you are on your own. This alone is enough to make any new mother nervous. However, by using assistance, someone who can cook, clean, do laundry, burp the baby, and change diapers, you will get back on your feet quicker.
Just remember, your house will be flooded with all kinds of visitors wanting to see your new addition. Although difficult, you will need to limit visitors only to close family and a few friends. This will protect your baby from germs, keep him or her from being passed around so much at first, and allow you time to regain some composure. One of the best words of advice someone gave me after both my children were born was when rest – you rest. Even if you lie down for 20 minutes, give yourself a break.
For a couple of weeks, you will find that you hear things much clearer. For instance, while you might have slept through the night before, now you hear the soft breathing of the baby or his/her body turning during sleep. This too adds to the challenge of getting back to normal since your sleep has changed. Just keep reminding yourself that this is temporary. Soon, you will be a pro, enjoying your new family while feeling refreshed and revived.
If you have other children or even a pet, plan to see some form of jealousy. For children, help them hold the baby and allow them to participate in what they can. We also suggest you make bedtime special for the older children. Then, for people coming to see the newborn, request they speak to the older children first. After all, the baby will have no idea that the other kids are getting attention but the older kids will. As far as the pet, you know your animal but even gentle animals can change after bringing a baby home. Therefore, watch your dog or cat to make sure the reactions to the baby are healthy.