Becoming a mom can be a life-changing event for mothers, and as your baby becomes more active after a few weeks of birth, it is entirely different and opposite for you as a mom.
New moms tend to focus more on the baby and forget about the many physical and emotional issues that can affect their health. After childbirth especially the first, everything becomes more demanding for a woman.
Some women find it a bit difficult to adjust to the title “mother” this is mostly caused by lack of support from those around her.
A lot of new moms are weak after birth due to loss of blood, and if you are not healthy as a new mom, it would be more difficult for you to take care of your baby.
Although nursing a baby as a mom may be natural, it can be difficult for some women.
Below are some basic self-care tips new moms.
1. Schedule time to sleep: Resting is vital for every new mom because they spend more time tending to the baby and most times forget to keep track of time.
For you to schedule your time to sleep properly, you need to understand your baby that is know when your baby sleeps and how long your baby sleeps. By doing this, you can be able to sleep when your baby sleeps.
2. Remember to buy postpartum clothes: Most women prepare for maternity and forgets postpartum. After childbirth, your body may not be the same as it were before pregnancy and during pregnancy so it is important for new moms to prepare themselves for postpartum.
3. Try to get out sometimes: It is very tempting for new moms to want to stay indoors. But after the first few months, it is healthy for you to go out and spend time with other people maybe friend and family.
4. Make out time to have your hair done: That you may not have enough time for yourself as a new mom doesn’t mean you should look unkept. As soon as you can be able to leave your baby for an hour or two, you should make out time to schedule hair appointments.
5. Try exercising: Exercising may not be done right away, but after a few weeks you can try taking a long walk or hitting the gym. This is not just to keep your body fit but it is also good for your mood.
6. Give yourself a treat: Do not wait for others to take you out on a treat. After a long day of nursing and keeping your baby comfortable, you can find some little ways to give yourself an indoor treat or an outdoor treat when your little one is taking a nap.
7. Take vitamin food supplements: It may be necessary for you to take vitamin food supplements in between meals for a short while after childbirth to help you complement meals and keep you healthy for your baby.
Breastfeeding Basics for new moms
Here are a few basics you should know as a new mom who has never breastfed.
1. Do not delay: Do not delay in breastfeeding your baby after birth. The more milk you’ll produce depends on how well you feed your baby.
2. Know how to latch: For babies to get enough milk, they need to have a deep latch this is to prevent nipples from being damaged and sored. Before putting your baby to your breast, make sure you position him on his side and his belly is facing yours then you should tickle his mouth with your nipple to make him open wide and take the entire nipple in his mouth.
3. Feed your milk supply: Breastfeeding moms need to feed their milk supply depending on their metabolism and activity level. It is advisable for new moms to take at least eight glasses of liquids per day.
4. Breastfeeding sections: Breastfeeding sections should last for at least 20-30 minutes. Although some babies may take a longer time while others may take lesser time to feed, as a new mom you should watch out for the signs that your baby is full. Most times babies let go of the nipple when they’re full.
You should also know when to feed your baby that is knowing when your baby is hungry you shouldn’t wait for tears before feeding your little one.
5. Be comfortable: Settle in a position that is comfortable for you and your baby. It could be in an armchair, a couch or bed. When sitting and breastfeeding your baby, always put a pillow across your legs to raise the baby to a comfortable height or position.
6. Getting breastfeeding support: If you feel you’re still not doing it right or you’re finding it difficult to understand how to feed your baby, then you should seek support from experienced persons who have nursed or see a nurse who specialises in lactation.
Benefits of Breastfeeding to Moms
Breastfeeding your baby as a mom is beneficial to you and can boost your health as well. Some benefits of breastfeeding include;
1. Helps you lose pregnancy weight as the milk production helps to burn about 300-400 calories per day.
2. It lowers your risk of breast cancer.
3. It helps to trigger the uterus to shrink back to pre-pregnancy size.
4. It may help to lower risk of osteoporosis.
5. It helps in birth spacing. This is because breastfeeding can reduce potential fertility in women as much as modern contraceptives.
6. It helps you bond with your baby.
Benefits of Breastfeeding to Babies
Just as it is breastfeeding is beneficial to mothers, it is also very beneficial to your baby. Here are some particular reasons why you should give your baby natures perfect food (breastmilk).
- It causes less stomach upset and constipation than formula foods.
- It protects your baby against allergies.
- It helps to protect your baby against type 1 diabetes.
- It makes your baby smarter.
- It helps to protect your baby against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- It contains immunity-boosting antibodies that help vaccination to work more effectively.
- It helps to reduce the risk of viruses and infections.
