Your new baby is finally here! You are so excited for the moment you will walk out those hospital doors with your baby in arms and bring her or him into that beautifully decorated nursery you’ve been preparing for months. Are you ready for this?
If this is your first time around, you are likely not. Despite taking prenatal classes and talking to friends with kids, you and your partner are probably not ready for what’s in store. Nor is your baby.
Even as a physician, I was blissfully unaware of what to (realistically) expect. As a mom of three, I can now say that I am speaking from experience.
What to expect on day one
The first 24 to 48 hours at home can be a bit of a whirlwind for both you and your baby. You will likely all be exhausted from the possible overnight stay in the hospital, and the many trials of getting baby to breastfeed—not to mention the exhaustion of the delivery itself. This was a huge workout for both you and your baby! Hence, after settling in at home, you will both want to have a good snooze.
You may very well get a decent amount of sleep over the first 24 hours or so when your baby naps as he or she also needs to recover from the entire labour and delivery process. Over the first week or so, you can expect your baby to sleep for up to 18 to 20 hours per day, though the stretches of sleep will only last two to three hours at a time. The reason for this is simple: your baby is hungry. Your little person has a very small tummy and can only take in small volumes at a time. Moreover, at this point in time your milk has yet to come in—this usually happens on day three or four. Hence, the baby is only getting calories from the small amounts of colostrum you’re producing. He or she will find this small amount very satisfying, but usually not for long.
Keeping baby fed
Though the first night may run relatively smoothly, with maybe a few attempts at feeding, following this your baby will likely decide to cluster-feed (in other words, he or she will want a number of short feeds over a period of a few hours). This is nature’s way of trying to stimulate your milk supply. The more the baby feeds, the more milk your breasts produce. Baby is just ramping up the production process in anticipation of his or her growing caloric needs over the weeks to come.
Generally, you will not have to wake the baby up to feed (she or he will certainly let you know when it’s time!). However, if your baby is very small, premature, or showing signs of jaundice your doctor may recommend that you attempt to enforce a stricter feeding schedule.
The first week at home can be quite the daunting task, and this is why it’s crucial to engage others in helping out. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Knowing you’re not alone in the process as well as knowing when to ask for help are keys to surviving the first week.
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