Question 1

Remember That Pregnancy and Childbirth Don’t Usually go as Planned.

Accepted Answer

New Mums: Remember, you have just given birth to your beautiful baby. Even though you may have had certain expectations or plans during your pregnancy and childbirth, try to accept that unex   pected situations can and do arise, and often the best way is to go along with the flow. For e.g. you may prepared for a natural birth, however, you end up having a C-Section, try not get disheartened. Often, being resilient in situations such as these will help you recover faster both physically and emotionally.  New Dads:  Try to stay as involved as possible during the pregnancy as well as the birth. Keep the tech charged up, for photos and videos, spend some alone time with your partner and new born after the delivery. Familiarise yourself with the ‘hospital bag’ and any unexpected treatment your partner or baby may need during delivery. Give your partner something bright and cheerful after delivery- Jewellery helps but her favourite flowers and chocolates will cheer her up just the same.

Question 2

Find fellow New mums:

Accepted Answer

New Mums: You may feel that you can’t bear to face any new mama groups soon after delivery either because of the extra baby weight or feeling exhausted or maybe you feel that you already have the support of family. However, even if those m   aybe be true, meeting up with other new mums and babies, even if it is just once a month, will help you keep in touch with the outside world and bounce back your daily achievements or struggles with others in similar situations. New Dads: Be as supportive as you can. If you do need to get back to work soon after the delivery, don’t just assume that your partner will be content staying at home days on end. Encourage her to meet other fellow mums when she feels up to it. Try to help her become mobile so she doesn’t feel stagnated at home day-in-and-day-out.

Question 3

Take Time Out for Your Partner:

Accepted Answer

New mums:  By the time its baby’s bedtime, you may find it too exhausting to enjoy some 1-2-1 time with your partner, however do not worry about waiting till the end of the day for some adult company. If your partner is at home with you at the weekend, try to take out time during the day when the baby is napping. Have lunch together or even a cup of tea together can keep you both gelled together and bring the focus back on the two of you. New Dads: If you need to go back to work after the delivery, try to organise your day in a way which means that you can be back home on time most days if not each day. Try to bring you partner some flowers every now and again on the way home. Remember she would have been attending to the baby all day and would love some grownup company so try to be a good listener and giver her your attention.

Question 4

Bonding and Emotions:

Accepted Answer

New Mums: Don’t expect to feel the mother-child bond straightaway, especially if you’ve had a difficult labour. It might take a few hours or even days. Don’t loose heart. Whether your pregnancy was planned or not and regardless of how your labour was, expect a flood of emotions which may take some time to settle down. Don’t be too hard on yourself, as long as you and your baby are well and healthy, that is what counts. New Dads: Try to be a source of comfort and support to your partner especially if she is starting to get the baby blues. She will need your support and care now more than before. Try to be proactive with the baby’s immediate needs such nappy changing, support with feeding etc. Get your partner some of her favourite snacks/ foods such as chocolates etc to keep her energy levels up.

Question 5

Routine:

Accepted Answer

New Mums: Try not to get hung up on setting up a strict routine from day 1. Try to get to know your baby’s needs. Some babies may have feeding problems or suffer from Colic or post birth congestion and that can really mess up any kind of routine you’re trying to establish. Remember, labour and birth is a shock not just for you the Mum but also for your New baby. Once you both recover from the so-called aftershocks to your bodies, you will be in a much better position to help set up a routine. Check out courses for New Parents to help set up an effective routine for your baby. New Dads: As before, stay involved in the process from the beginning. Your partner will thoroughly appreciate your committed help with the baby. Try to help with the shopping, cooking, clearing up, laundry. You might also find that you partner may appreciate a few minutes every day to herself to have a shower or even a cup of coffee in peace. Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t wait to be asked to do something. Try to take your own initiative.

Question 6

Feeding:

Accepted Answer

New Mums: You may have heard that ‘Breast is best’ and yes, it is the perfect food for your baby. It has the perfect composition of anti bodies for your baby, helps reduce the risk of allergies and infections, it also helps prevents speech and orthodontic problems. Remember, not just you, your baby will also need to learn to latch on and feed so it will might take a few days to perfect it so be patient. Try to prepare in advance with our Successful Breast feeding tips in our Workshop for New parents. If you decide to move on to bottle feeding, prepare in advance with our Success Bottle feeding workshop for New parents. New Dads: Try to be as supportive and involved as possible with feeding. If your partner has mastered the feeding aspect, try not to feel left out, you can be involved in other things such as burping, changing, preparing formula if you both decide to bottle feed. Try to help with night feeds with expressed milk or formula even if the baby is Breastfeeding during the day.

Question 7

Don't Google everything:

Accepted Answer

New Mums and Dads: Avoid googling every single symptom as it can lead to more unnecessary stress for you and your baby. Instead, try to read up on Post birth books from reliable sources before your baby is born. This way, you will be equipped with some firm guidance any concerns you may have post birth, such as, nappy rash, feeding problems, colic and regurgitation etc. Also trust your instincts, if something genuinely doesn’t feel right, you will know and your best port of action would be contacting your Doctor.

Question 8

Visitors:

Accepted Answer

New Mums: Welcome visitors, however, try not let it overwhelm you. It may seem unusual but ask your family or friends to help themselves to cups of tea or cold drinks. Avoid inviting visitors during nap times as it will only serve to upset your baby’s sleep leading to a much unsettled baby by the evening. Try not to let every single visitor handle the baby too much. Remember, while in the womb, the baby would be used to sounds but not touch, so try to keep the physical handling limited. New Dads: As much as you may want to show off your new baby, just be mindful that it will be physically very draining for the New mum and the baby to be entertaining visitors for long periods of time. This will be especially true if the New mum has had stiches and bruises. It can make sitting or standing for long periods very difficult. Where possible, ask your visitors to arrange a time before hand so that both baby and mum are rested out.

Question 9

Housework:

Accepted Answer

New Mums and Dads: Try to share the household chores between you two so that the burden of the chores, cooking, cleaning, baby duties don’t all fall on one person, while the other person is happy to just enjoy cuddles with baby. Remember, the baby is a product of both of you, therefore, both of need to share the jobs accordingly so that both of you can enjoy and revel in the joys of your New baby together. If you do not have a house help option, then ask for help from family and friends. They will be more than happy to contribute help such as shopping, doing laundry, even holding the baby if the parent needs a nap or a shower.