Getting to know your baby
The early relationship you, your partner and family have with your baby is very important. It helps lay the foundations for who they will be and their relationships with other people. For more information click here
Crying/ Soothing your baby
All babies cry, some more than others. Babies use crying as a way of communicating with you, telling you that they need some comfort or care.
Sometimes it is clear what they want, and sometimes it's not.
By keeping your baby close and being responsive to their needs you will learn to be able to recognise your baby's needs.
Advice on soothing a crying baby
Baby sleeping
Newborn babies don't have a sense of day and night. They sleep around the clock, and because their tiny stomachs don't hold enough breast milk or formula to keep them satisfied for long, they wake often to eat — no matter what time of day or night it is.
The first months of a baby's life can be the hardest for parents, who might get up many times at night to tend to the baby. Each baby has a different sleep pattern. Some start to sleep "through the night" (for 5–6 hours at a time) by 2–3 months of age, but some don't.
For more information https://www.basisonline.org.uk/
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Becoming a Dad
Physical changes post birth
Emotional changes post birth
A lot of new mums find themselves feeling weepy and irritable and not knowing why. But if it happens to you, don’t worry, most new mums go through it . The baby blues is not an illness and you should see the back of it without any medical treatment. This’ll probably happen by the time your baby is around 10 days old .
If you’re still feeling low after this, speak to your GP or midwife as it might be something more serious
Postnatal Mental Health
Postnatal depression is a depressive illness which affects between 10 to 15 in every 100 women having a baby. The symptoms are similar to those in depression at other times. These include low mood and other symptoms lasting at least two weeks. Depending on the severity, you may struggle to look after yourself and your baby.
You may find simple tasks difficult to manage.It's never too late to seek help. Even if you have been depressed for a while, you can get better.
The help you need depends on how severe your illness is. Mild PND can be helped by increased support from family and friends.
If you are more unwell, you will need help from your GP and health visitor. If your PND is severe, you may need care and treatment from a mental health service.
For more information please clink on link
Going home
If you’re both doing well, you’ll usually be ready to go home somewhere between 6 and 24 hours after birth. You may need to stay a bit longer if:
- you’ve had an emergency caesarean section
- you or your baby need extra care
How quickly you go home will depend on how you’re feeling
Your midwife will talk to you about when it is safe for you and your baby to go home. She will also discuss your postnatal care plan and frequency of visits from the community midwife .
Care of Newborn Baby
This is a special time as you and your baby get to know each other. It can be a magical time but it can also be slightly daunting and exhausting. For more information on caring for your baby and what to expect in the first few days click here