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The Postpartum Survival Guide Here are six things you can do to help prevent some of the stress of the postpartum period. Controlling stress has been found to help lower the risk of Postpartum Depression. The key is in good planning and organization. by Ann DouglasNo matter how much time you spent babysitting as a teenager or how many baby care books you’ve devoured since the pregnancy test came back positive, nothing can ever fully prepare you for the experience of becoming a mother. Many new mothers describe the early weeks after the birth as the best of times and the worst of times all wrapped up into one exhilharating and yet exhausting package: A time to celebrate your new-found status as a mother while simultaneously mourning the loss of your pre-baby freedom. Add to this the fact that your body is busy morphing back to its pre-pregnant state and the fact you haven’t had a good night’s sleep since the second trimester (if then!) and you can see why the postpartum period tends to be a bit of a rocky ride. Here are some tips on making the most of this wacky but wonderful time in your life. - Schedule a babymoon According to childbirth educator Sheila Kitzinger, there’s a case to be made for taking a "babymoon"—time alone as a family during the early hours and days after the birth. Not only do you need a chance to get used to the fact that you are actually someone’s mother: you also need time to recover from the birth. (Hey, they don’t call it "labor" for nothing!) - Limit the number of visitors during the early weeks of your baby’s life.
Once you’ve had the chance to
babymoon for a day or two, you may be eager to start showing off
the new arrival. To prevent yourself from becoming totally
exhausted, you’ll probably want to limit the frequency and
duration of visits. If, like many new parents, you find yourself
playing hostess to a steady stream of visitors who drop by daily
or (horrors!) overstay their welcome, you might fall back on
some tried-and-true techniques like staying in your nightee and
housecoat all day long or entertaining visitors in your bedroom
rather than the living room. That way, you’ll be sending
visitors a message loud and clear: this new mom needs her
rest!
Keep a running list of jobs that need to be
done. That way, if someone calls to ask what they can do to
help, you’ll be able to assign them a particular task: e.g.,
picking up some fresh fruit and vegetables at the grocery store,
mailing some letters for you, or folding a load of laundry.
After all, if there’s one time in your life when you’re
entitled to call in your favors, this is it. You’ve got the
Mother of All Excuses!
Make a list of all the people you can turn
to for assistance when the going gets rough: friends who have
recently had babies and who will be only to happy to answer your
questions about everything from feeding to diapering, health
care professionals in your community who are available to answer
questions or provide other types of support, and local
businesses that may be able to make your life easier after the
birth (e.g. a grocery store or drugstore that will deliver
orders right to your door; a cleaning service that offers a
special discount to new mothers; or a postpartum doula who
provides household help and breastfeeding advice for a set
hourly fee). Parenthood will seem a lot less overwhelming once
you’ve put your support team in place.
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