I often get emails from people interested in having me give them a little write up on the blog. Usually it is something that I don’t think fits here on Wife, Mom, Woman or they just want me to sell you something. (I love getting the word out about awesome products and handmade sellers but I’m not going to try and sell you anything!) It was so refreshing to hear from Katie that she was interested in doing a guest post for me. Her blog theme fits in perfectly with what I do over here and she wanted to do a post for Pregnancy Awareness Month (and I just so happen to be nearing the end of my pregnancy!). Thanks Katie, and welcome to Wife, Mom, Woman!
New Motherhood: A Few Tips for Hospital and Home
The excitement of motherhood starts well before delivery day. The moment a woman discovers she is pregnant, she begins to envision what her new baby will be like and how she will change in her new role of motherhood. Preparing during pregnancy for delivery day and bringing baby home can help make the excitement of becoming a mother far outweigh any nerves.
The Hospital Stay
Labor and delivery is a big event in a woman’s life, so adequate preparation and education will make this event a more manageable and exciting one instead of a nerve-wracking event. Taking childbirth classes is a great way to prepare and learn about options available during delivery. Learning about pain management choices and optional services will help a woman make important decisions regarding her labor. Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet throughout pregnancy will help a woman handle and recovery from delivery better.
There are a number of procedures that take place following birth that a mother should be aware of. For example, a mother can choose to have her baby’s cord blood collected and stored for umbilical cord blood banking. This blood comes from the umbilical cord and is rich in stem cells that can possibly be used in a medical treatment. After the baby is born, there are also tests and immunizations that need take place before he or she can go home. For example, hospitals will take a few drops of blood from the newborns heel before the baby goes home. This is a standard procedure to screen for different medical conditions.
Nurses are there to work with new mothers and are a great resource for a mother to learn from.
Nurses can coach new mothers on baby’s feeding, handling, and hygiene; a mother should ask as many questions as she can think of as she learns to handle her newborn and become comfortable with the idea of doing all of the caretaking without the aid of the medical staff.
Once at Home
The baby is not the only vulnerable human in the household; new mothers need time to rest and recuperate from childbirth and adjust to life’s changes. Recuperation includes a lot of sleep, good nutrition, drinking plenty of fluids, and sharing peaceful moments with her baby. Every mother hears sleep-deprived tales from other woman, but a mother should remember to grab extra sleep while baby is sleeping to help keep sleep-deprived feelings at bay.
When it comes to baby’s sleep time, allowing them to sleep alone in a safe crib without blankets and extras will help prevent SIDS. Many mothers want their baby close to them often, including snuggling during nap times; however, this can be dangerous for a newborn.
Simply having the guilt-free time to sing, rock, hum, and hold one’s very own baby is priceless and not likely to happen if there is a houseful of people. Limiting visits by friends and family to certain hours a day for the first few weeks can be helpful.
All of the above health tips can go a long way to helping a woman sail smoothly through labor and into motherhood, where life will be full of rewarding and special moments with baby!
“This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche. If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.”
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