The first six weeks or so of a baby's life can feel insane for the mother: there are the hormones, the sleep deprivation, the paparazzi visitors, the soreness, the joy, fear and confusion. Here are a few tips on how to smooth things along.
1. Take a "babymoon"
Spend a short period (even a few days will do) doing nothing but feeding and holding your baby. Snuggle endlessly, preferably skin-to-skin (studies show infant-maternal skin-to-skin contact is analgesic, calming, promotes breastfeeding and enhances maternal bonding). Eat meals you have previously frozen, or someone else has made, don't entertain visitors and shelve all domestic tasks.
2. Get practical help
If you are to babymoon, someone else has to prepare meals, shop, clean and do the laundry. If no partner, friends or family are willing, try a post-natal doula - a sort of experienced "rent a mum" - who will do light household tasks, and advise on breastfeeding and other new-baby issues. They're usually £12-15 per hour (doula.org.uk).
3. Expect odd things
Perfectly healthy newborns can have rashes, sticky eyes, flaky scalps and green, yellow or explosive poos. They can fart, burp, sleep deeply, or seemingly not at all, and feed round the clock. The basic rule is: if in doubt, call the midwife, health visitor or GP. They are used to setting panicky new parents' minds at rest and can pick up on anything that needs treatment.
4. Look after yourself
Your uterus takes six weeks to shrink back to normal - the rest of you no doubt significantly longer. Try to replenish the nutrients lost during pregnancy, rather than slim yourself concave or exist on pizza.
5. Watch your mood
Getting weepy around day three is normal, but "baby blues" should stop within a day or two. However, feeling hopeless, exhausted, inadequate, anxious, obsessive, panicky or disconnected (more than fleetingly) can signal postnatal depression. Around 10-15% of new mothers develop this serious but treatable illness. See your GP or health visitor (or try apni.org).
· First-Time Parent by Lucy Atkins is published by Collins, price £18.99.
