By Gabriella Gometra
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The waiting and anticipation of the birth of a baby is an exciting time. The nine months it takes to create something so beautiful is worth the wait. It is worth the false alarms of Braxton-Hicks contractions. True labor contractions and needles from the IV are not fun but the baby is all worth it. The nurses coming in to look and poke at everything that was once private will not last long. The pushing out of a six to nine pound something with all the strength God gave is hard but after it is done the baby has arrived. After the baby’s birth there may still be some discomfort as the mom’s body adjusts back to normal. The baby has to go through some clean-up and tests. There is really no rest for mother or baby in the hospital. If it is a person’s first baby the nurses give information about how to change and feed the baby. Then in a couple of days or even less it is time to go home and start the adventure.
The nurses do not tell everything in the hospital. They tell the parents the basics of how the mom should take care of herself and get as much rest as possible. They do not tell about the baby crying and the parents trying everything to make the baby happy but nothing appearing to work, especially in the middle of the night when mom and dad are tired. If the mom has not returned to work but the dad has to get up early to provide for the family, the mom might want to consider staying up with the baby. The mom can sleep the next day whenever the baby sleeps. It seems easier said than done, especially if the mom is sensitive to light and the bright sun is telling her it is not time to sleep. The mom can try to keep the baby up in the daytime by letting in a lot of sunlight. Also making a lot of noise around the house to keep the baby from going into a deep sleep may work. The baby can take naps in the infant seat instead of laying down snug as a bug. It may be difficult the first several weeks to get the baby to get on a consistent schedule but it will change.
Doing other activities around the house like cleaning may seem nonexistent at this point. It is important for the parents of the new baby not to get overwhelmed with taking care of the baby and cleaning the house. The house should not be nasty but if it is a little out of order it is not the end of the world. The parents should focus on taking care of the mom and baby. Also if the baby has older brothers and sisters then that can be plenty to do. The older siblings have to adjust to the parents having a great deal of attention on the baby. The parents have to keep in mind that the older siblings have to get used to the new baby as well. They may want to pitch in and help by going to get a diaper or a blanket. Depending on the other kids’ ages they can help with chores around the house as well.
Bringing home the baby is an awesome time in a family’s life. It is not all about not getting sleep or getting anything done. It is a time to be joyful and thankful for the new addition to the family. Even through the seemingly stressful times the family still has to find peace and happiness. The family has to remember that the baby will not be a newborn forever and they will soon be wondering “where did time go” when the child starts to walk and talk.
Gabriella Gometra, stay-at-home mother and writer, builds sites on a diverse number of topics, such as parakeet bird cages and the victorian bird cage style.
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