A nurse talks to a midwife who is holding a baby in the maternity ward (Photo: ShutterStock)
You have almost no weeks left to count, the bag is already arranged and the partner is in the position of jumping - which means that you are in the last tidings of pregnancy and a little baby boy or girl will join the family.
Apparently, your energies are all directed to the birth process - where will labor catch you?
How much will it hurt you?
How long will the whole story take and when will the baby be born at a good time?
All this is super logical and understandable, but maybe you should be prepared for what awaits you, mother, after the birth.
Everyone experiences these special moments differently, and of course each birth is different for her body and there are mothers whose recovery or that of the baby requires an additional stay in the hospital, but most mothers, if not all, will face a fairly similar range of emotions: excitement, fatigue, fears, joy and a certain sadness.
So what awaits you in the first days after birth and how can you survive them successfully?
Here's everything they didn't tell you and you really should know:
bleeding
Do you remember that once, about nine months ago, you would get your period once a month?
So get a refreshing reminder.
After the birth you are going to bleed.
At first a lot and then the bleeding decreases and varies from woman to woman, but usually ends after a month and a half.
This is a natural process of contraction and cleansing of the uterus, and it may also be accompanied by a feeling of period pain in the first few days.
Hey patient, buy disposable underwear and/or menstrual absorbent pads and wear dark pants in case of misses.
Pain, dealing with stitches or recovering from a C-section
Even the one who will go through the easiest birth and will not need stitches at all, will feel that her body has gone through an extreme experience and in a slightly less flattering word - injured.
The effort, the fatigue, the excitement, the lack of sleep hours and the confusion - all these will only fuel the shaking experience.
Add to that vaginal stitches or recovery from a caesarean section and the fact that a tiny baby has to be handled despite all of this and you get a woman whose every movement hurts (and that's without talking about hemorrhoids that are typical at the end of pregnancy and feel great even when you're sitting...).
Be ready for your body's recovery period and get help from whoever you can, even in very simple actions such as standing in the shower or assistance in getting out of bed.
Don't stress yourself, you need to recover for your baby.
Full of people who want to visit and unpleasant to refuse them
Grandparents, uncles and aunts, nephews, your girlfriends, his friends - lots of people will want to come visit you and the baby, possibly already in the hospital.
It may sound nice, but you will be so exhausted in the first few days and your schedule may be full of round-the-clock breastfeeding, sleeping and...that's it. Don't be shy to
shorten visits or postpone them for a few days, until you feel a little more recovered. Your partner is responsible for managing the visits and making sure that everything is done in coordination with you. You will probably have to be flexible here and there for families who come from far away, for example, but make sure to convey the message in a pleasant way and no one will get hurt. Breastfeeding
pains
Whoever chooses to breastfeed will find that it is not an easy task in the first days after birth.
The baby shouldn't eat much, and the initial milk called colostrum comes out in small drops that should be enough for him until he needs more (and in perfect coordination your body will produce more milk).
At this time it will be difficult to understand if the baby is eating properly because most of the time he will fall asleep on your nipple, and it is possible that for a variety of reasons he will injure your nipple - which is not used to intensive sucking.
It is important to have a lot of patience, to consult with lactation consultants who circulate in the department or to invite someone privately if necessary.
Also, many mothers purchase therapeutic pads or ointment to relieve pain and treat cracks.
In any case, you should ask mothers who have already gone through it what helped them and decide for yourself.
Milk drips
In addition to the pains that may arise during breastfeeding in the first days, you will probably also experience the phenomenon of congestion in the breasts and with it also dripping milk.
Until breastfeeding stabilizes you will probably have to go around with absorbent pads to avoid staining your clothes and change them frequently.
And the cure for congestion?
breastfeed or pump.
Changes in mood and emotions
at first you can be on crazy adrenaline - you went through the birth, gave birth to a healthy baby and you are undoubtedly a champion!
After a few hours or days, the excitement and hi may give way to a token that begins to fall: you are a mother, there is a baby that needs you and only you and you must function despite the extreme fatigue.
This can cause a certain depression, stress and fear and it is important that you know that it is legitimate.
The feelings towards the baby and towards the world in general can also range from a great crush to "Who is this creature and what does he want from me?".
Everything is fine, everything is fine.
Give way to your tears.
Your hormones are raging right now and you've had a very significant experience and everything you'll feel is normal.
Talk to someone who will improve your mood, share with your partner and be forgiving towards yourself.
Everything will balance out really, really soon.
Whoever chooses to breastfeed will discover that this is not an easy task in the first days after birth (Photo: ShutterStock)
The Jama application was established with the aim of responding to mothers of babies between the ages of birth and three, and to gather for them content, activities, tips from experts and videos that will accompany them throughout this challenging period.
All the content in the application "grows" together with the baby and is precisely adapted to the stages of his development, so that the mothers receive only what is relevant to them and interests them at any given moment.
The Jama app is the place for mothers in Israel to meet and get to know other mothers around them, and to create new and exciting friendships in the fascinating journey.
Search us on Google: https://app.jama.co.il/
Daniel Saranetsky, in collaboration with JAMA
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