| Home | Diaper Gift Baskets | Baby Basket Gift Newborn | Gifts For Expectant Mothers | Pregnancy | Links |
Life After Birth Pregnancy
LIFE AFTER BIRTH: THE FIRST 6 WEEKS
Life after birth can be chaotic, especially if this is your first baby. Taking care of your newborn is hard work and won't be much fun until he or she develops a personality. In case you didn't know, a newborn doesn't laugh or smile, it can't play or even hold its own head up without a supporting hand. All it can do is eat, sleep, dirty diapers, pass gas, throw up and cry. Despite all of this, you will ? believe it or not ? love your little tot more than anything else in the world. Moreover, you will learn a lot about yourself and your partner as you both navigate through these initial days of parenthood.
Sex (or lack thereof)
You should know that sex is off-limits for at least 6 weeks after your partner gives birth. Don't forget that she just delivered a fair-sized human through a very tiny birth canal and her body will need time to heal. Your gal's doctor will ask to see her about six weeks after delivery for a full physical and emotional post-baby follow-up. At this visit, the doctor will check to see how her wounds are healing. If everything is good, your partner will get the green light for sex. However, this doesn't mean that she will be as keen and eager to get back into the game. She'll likely be tired from the whole pregnancy ordeal and from the added responsibilities of caring for a newborn. Help out as much as possible and be patient. Her interest in sex will return?just don't push her too hard.
Sleep (or lack thereof)
The good news is that babies need a lot of sleep ? about 15-16 hours a day. Unfortunately, newborns don't have regular sleep patterns and don't sleep for long hours at a time. This means that you won't have regular sleep patterns either. Get used to napping throughout the day. And if that doesn't work for you, then get used to sleep deprivation. You and your partner may feel like you are losing your minds as you quickly realize how cranky and dysfunctional you can be after several nights of disrupted sleep. Hang in there. After about 8 or 10 weeks, your baby will start to sleep through the night (approximately five consecutive hours) and your sleep-deprived, zombie-like state will be a thing of the past.
You may with to alternate night shifts to maximize the amount of uninterrupted sleep each partner gets. There really is no need for both of you to get up every time the baby needs to be fed, coddled or changed.
Caring for Your Tiny Tot
After your shopping spree for nursery items, layettes and strollers, you may have thought that you were fully ready for your baby. While these purchases were necessary, they are only a small part of what you need to survive postnatal care. There will be many new and strange things for you and your partner to learn. The ins-and-outs of feeding, bathing, diapering and umbilical cord care are in no way intuitive. Don't get scared or discouraged by your new-found incompetence. Chances are that your partner is also incompetent in this area. It's okay to make mistakes; every new parent does. The good news is that the parental learning curve is steep. You and your partner will quickly develop the skills needed to care for your tot. To give you a helping hand, here is are a few pointers on baby care basics:
Feeding
The first step is to decide your method of feeding ? breast milk or formula? There are many benefits of breastfeeding, including nutritional and emotional advantages. Breast milk is a complete food source that contains hormones and disease-fighting compounds that are absent in formula. Nursing also helps build a special bond between mother and baby. Studies show that babies thrive on the skin-to-skin contact, cuddling and holding that occurs during breastfeeding. However, there are a variety of reasons why many women do not nurse. They may not be able to produce enough milk or they may have to return to work soon after birth and are not available to nurse the baby throughout the day. Whatever the reason, your gal should not feel guilty or uncomfortable with deciding to bottle-feed. There are many excellent formulas available which are highly nutritious. Speak with your partner's physician or pediatrician about recommended formulas.
Regardless of your method of feeding, you should know that most newborns eat about 8 times a day (approximately every two to three hours). However, you shouldn't try to set scheduled eating times during the first few weeks after birth. Let your baby eat whenever he or she seems hungry.
Bathing
Because your baby's umbilical cord will need to heal, it is very important that you keep it dry to prevent infection. After about two weeks, the gross looking stump (i.e., remnants of the umbilical cord) will fall off and your baby will be left with a cute little belly button. In the meantime, take extra care not to wet the umbilical cord during bathing. The best way to do this is to give your tot sponge baths until the cord heals.
To give a sponge bath, you will need a stable surface, a soft washcloth and lukewarm water. Make sure that you test the water temperature before applying the cloth to your baby to prevent scalding him or her. Your elbow or the inner part of your wrist is a good place to test water temperature. Your hand is not a good guide since it is not very sensitive enough to tell how hot or cold the water really is. Now you can begin wiping your baby gently with the moistened washcloth. Begin by wiping your baby's eyes (from inside to outside), ears and under arms. Then you can move onto legs and genitalia. When washing the bottom, make sure you wipe from front to back to avoid bringing any feces near the genitals. If you have had your baby boy circumcised, then you will want to speak with your pediatrician about caring for the penis while it heals.
The most important thing to remember when bathing your baby is to NEVER leave him or her along ? not even for a second. Babies squirm around a lot, so you should always keep your eyes and one hand on your little one during bath time. The same rule applies when you are changing your baby's diaper.
Changing Diapers
Don't avoid this responsibility because it you have never changed a diaper before. Because babies pee and poop so often, you will spend a lot of time changing diapers. Take advantage of this precious time with junior. You may also have to develop silly and immature techniques to comfort your baby if he/she does not enjoy the diapering process. As ridiculous as you may feel, this is actually an important part of establishing a parent-tot bond.
While it may be dirty work, diapering is not rocket science. For easy to follow instructions, make sure to read our article on How to Change a Diaper at www.thefunkystork.com.
Caring for Yourself and Your Partner As flighty and silly as it might sound, self-care is important. Neither you nor your partner is doing your tot any good by neglecting yourselves. Try a shift-work system where you schedule an hour or two during the day where one parent will care for the baby alone. This way, the other parent can practice self-care ? taking a long, warm bath, going for a run, doing yoga, reading or just going for coffee with a friend.
You will find that self-care will also help maintain civility in your relationship with your partner. By making time to do something for yourself, you will find that you won't feel as overwhelmed by your initiation to parenthood. And don't forget that this rule also applies to your partner. In fact, she will likely need more time for self-care than you since she will also be recovering from both 40 weeks of pregnancy and hours of childbirth. Also be aware that your partner is particularly vulnerable to postpartum depression during the first weeks after birth.
Postpartum depression, which is a more serious case of the baby blues, can begin as early as a few days after delivery. Experts don't know the real cause of postpartum depression, but they suspect that it has something to do with changes hormonal levels. Stress, disturbed sleeping patterns and changes in daily routine can all contribute to postpartum depression. Signs and symptoms include restlessness, irritability, changes in appetite, sadness and anxiety. If your partner is experiencing any of these symptoms or if you sense that something isn't right with the way your partner is behaving, you should consult your physician immediately. Untreated, postpartum depression can develop into postpartum psychosis, which is a serious mental illness that requires medical intervention. Both you and your partner should take her postnatal psychological state very seriously.
On a lighter note, you and your partner make an extra effort to keep the romance in your relationship. While your baby will require a lot of your time and attention, he or she will also be taking a lot of naps. Nap-time may be the perfect (and only) time for your and your partner to romance each other. Snuggle, watch a movie, make dinner or enjoy a glass of wine together. Whatever you decide to do, take a minute to set the mood with candles and relaxing music.
Another important factor to consider is how involved you want your parents or partner's parents to be. Parental intervention can add some seriously unneeded stress to the situation and unnecessary strain on your relationship. That said, you shouldn't reject offers to help. Being a new parent is not going to be easy and you will need all the help that you can get. Just remember to set limits and don't be afraid to tell your relatives what you need (and don't need). The last thing you want is to have one overbearing relatives overstepping their boundaries and overstaying their welcome.
Now What?
Things change after about 6 weeks of caring for your newborn. You and your partner will be different people, your relationship will be redefined and your tot will begin to act more like a baby than a squirmy alien. Life will get easier from here on out. Your tot will become a toddler and will begin roaming around the house. Make sure you are prepared for junior's curiosity by baby-proofing your home early.
Owner and creator of http://www.thefunkystork.com - the only online guide for modern expectant fathers.
 Daily Mail | Pregnant Alessandra Ambrosio's Family Travels The Gossip Girls Currently five months pregnant with her second child, the travels come as Miss Ambrosio recently spoke about having strutted the catwalk during this past November's VS Fashion Show despite carrying a little one at the time. She dished, “When I first ... Pregnant Alessandra Ambrosio goes hell for leather in a pair of skintight ... |
 Daily Mail | Kristin Cavallari Delays Wedding for Baby Us Magazine Now engaged (again) to Jay Cutler and pregnant with their first child, the former Hills star, 25, won't be walking down the aisle until after she gives birth. "I'm not even looking for a wedding dress right now," she told Celebuzz. "I'm pregnant! Kristin Cavallari on Being a Pregnant Bride: No Way! Kristin Cavallari: 'I don't want to be a pregnant bride' Pregnant Cavallari delays wedding |
 USA TODAY (blog) | Jamie Lynn Spears talks pregnancy, MTV's 'Teen Mom' stars: 'I've been that girl' Entertainment Weekly by April Daley Jamie Lynn Spears shocked us all in 2007 when she announced she was 16 and pregnant with now-ex-boyfriend Casey Aldridge's baby. The former Zoey 101 star, 20, then left tabloid-riddled Los Angeles and moved back to her home state of ... Jamie Lynn Spears talks teen pregnancy Jamie Lynn Spears opens up about her daughter and getting back into the spotlight Jamie Lynn Spears: "I Wasn't Trying to Glamorize Teen Pregnancy" |
 Daily Mail | Pregnant Alyson Hannigan races from salon chair to stop getting a parking ... Daily Mail By Lucy Buckland You would think being heavily pregnant and a Hollywood star may get you off a parking ticket. Obviously not in West Hollywood as actress Alyson Hannigan proved when she picked up a ticket, even after racing out of the hairdressers ... |
 Opposing Views | Pregnant Women Over 50 'Do Pretty Well' Study Finds LiveScience.com By implanting embryos produced by in-vitro fertilization using egg cells donated by younger women, women who have passed menopause can become pregnant and give birth. A new study of 101 women age 50 and older who had children using donated eggs reveals ... Think you can't get pregnant? Try again, study says Women Getting Pregnant at 50? Study Says "No Problem" Think you can't get pregnant? Try again, Australian study says |
 TIME | Pfizer Birth Control Recall: Could Women Who Get Pregnant Sue? TIME If women wind up pregnant from faulty pill packets, product liability lawsuits or "wrongful pregnancy" cases — reminiscent of medical malpractice — could be filed. By Bonnie Rochman | @brochman | February 3, 2012 | + It didn't take long for the ... Contraceptive recall could put Pfizer at risk of multimillion-dollar lawsuit ... Pfizer and Its Recall of Birth Control Pills Birth Control Pills: How They Work and Why Was There A Recall |
 The Star-Ledger - NJ.com | Snooki denies pregnancy Philadelphia Inquirer But after an appearance Wednesday on the Opie & Anthony radio show, she flat-out denied being pregnant, as seen on TMZ video footage. "No!" said Snooki, who bills herself on Twitter as "ny times best selling author, business woman, independent boss ... Is Snooki pregnant? She says no Snooki And JWoww Talk 'Jersey Shore' Spinoff, Pregnancy Rumors On 'Live!' (VIDEO) Snooki is not pregnant |
 The Imperfect Parent | Connecticut mom told maternity leave viewed as resignation The Imperfect Parent When Amy Zvovushe took a new job with Ryan Partnership, she never imagined that when she became pregnant and informed her Human Resources department of her condition she'd be told she wouldn't have a job waiting for her when she came back to work after ... Amy Zvovushe alleges her employer in Connecticut violated discrimination laws ... |
 Daily Mail | Captain of her heart! Chris Hemsworth shares an intimate moment with pregnant ... Daily Mail By Lucy Buckland They got married just over two years ago but for actor Chris Hemsworth and pregnant wife Elsa Pataky, the magic is still very much alive. The gorgeous couple shared an intimate moment as they prepared to fly from LA to London. A Ponytailed Chris Hemsworth Shops With Pregnant Wife Elsa Pataky As New ... |
 The Age | Top Vixen's pregnant pause The Age The two-time Vixens best-and-fairest winner said she was yet to decide if the pregnancy would end her career. ''I kind of want to leave that open,'' the 34-year-old said. ''This year one of my real dreams was to get back from my Achilles injury and ... Netballer McMahon announces pregnancy Netball champ pregnant Superwoman to supermum |
Related Articles
Are Epidurals Bad?
EPIDURALS CAN SAVE YOU FROM THE "HORRORS" OF CHILDBIRTH
Your Role as an Expectant Father
Quite often expectant fathers get bent out of shape over what they should be doing during the pregnancy. The pregnant woman is often the focus of all attention. She's the one carrying the baby. She's the one doctors examine. She's the one with oodles of books written especially for her. She's the one who has to push when the time comes and they put the baby on her belly when it is delivered. So, the question is: Are you only along for the ride? Yes, you really are only along for the ride.
Pregnancy Sex - Its A Wonderful Thing!
Mums to be can often get worried about having sex while pregnant; well there is no medical evidence that having sexual intercourse whilst pregnant does any damage at all.
Piece of Mind During Pregnancy - It is Possible with Babysheart
After four years of marriage my husband and I started to plan for our family. Unfortunately we ran into some fertility issues because of my endometriosis. We eventually went to a specialist and were able to conceive after 2 years of trying to have our first child. Unfortunately I had an early miscarriage, and it left me very emotional. We decided to try again as soon as medically possible and conceived again. This time I was so anxious because of the miscarriage. I would count the days to my next ob visit just to hear the heartbeat.
Kegel Exercise for a Healthy Pregnancy
With Kegal exercise, your pregnancy can be more comfortable before, during, and after your baby is born. With the proper kegal exercise, you can strengthen the vaginal muscles and allow for smoother pregnancy. Kegal exercises strengthen your pelvic muscles, which become weakened during childbirth. This could lead to bladder control problems.
Maintaining Balance During Your Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a beautiful time. And it is also a time for out-of-control hormones which can get a little stressful and chaotic. But there is good news for women who are planning to become or already are pregnant. A variety of wonderful hormone-balancing treatments are available today. You don't even need a prescription to obtain such pregnancy hormone medication.
How do Pregnancy Tests Work?
Pregnancy tests identify a special hormone in the blood or urine produced during pregnancy. This hormone is called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), often referred to as the pregnancy hormone. There are two basic types of pregnancy tests, blood and urine.
Weight Loss After Pregnancy - The Importance Of Setting Goals
One of the best things you can do is set some goals for yourself. Goal setting is an important aspect of any successful weight loss strategy. The type of goals you set will depend on the amount of weight you have to lose and your personal fitness goals and desires.
How to Deal With Headaches During Pregnancy
Headaches are one of the more unpleasant "side effects" that come with pregnancy. All women will have some, but most will experience them in the first and last trimesters. In the first three months, this is thought to be primarily due to such factors as increased blood volume, the initial stresses, and hormonal changes. In the final three months, the causes are more likely to be poor posture, which can result in pressure on parts of your body that communicate their discomfort to the brain, and also from the discomforts of carrying extra weight.
Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy
How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy.
Being Pregnant Is Not a Hurdle to Enjoy A Little Romance
Most of the time pregnant women are afraid to have a little romance. Probably they are afraid something could happen to their baby. Well, that's wrong. It is important that you do not ignore your own needs or those of your spouse's during pregnancy. Unless your doctor has warned you otherwise, it is generally safe to have intercourse while pregnant. You will not hurt the baby, nor will your hubby crush it by lying atop you.
How To Eat A Healthy Diet During Pregnancy
Perhaps the number one complaint of women trying to watch their weight during pregnancy is that they are hungry all the time. True, pregnancy does result in an increased metabolic demand on the body, which can cause you to be hungry. Many women also experience a number of cravings during pregnancy, which can make healthy eating challenging.
Feeling Sexy During Pregnancy
Some people think that the word sexy and pregnancy do not belong together. I have to disagree. In fact, I have heard many men say that a woman is her sexiest and most beautiful when she is pregnant!
Pregnant Mothers and Starbucks
Many mothers are addicted to caffeine and cannot handle going without during the nine months of pregnancy. The damage done to the fetus is a very critical issue in this time of development. Occasionally we see pregnant women come into Starbucks and buy a cup of coffee and wonder if we should say something. We do not of course and mind our own business. They are probably well aware of the risks they are causing their future child. Maybe they do not believe the reports or figure one more cup will not hurt. And maybe that one cup itself will not, but day after day we see them there again.
Smoking During Pregnancy
If you have been drinking up until the point when you become pregnant or smoking it is also vital that you stop doing so immediately. Many women worry that they consumed a few alcoholic drinks prior to learning they were pregnant. If you are concerned you should talk with your healthcare provider. Chances are that everything will be just fine as long as you stop immediately. At this time there are no recommended safe limits of alcohol to consume during pregnancy, thus it is best that you avoid alcohol all together.
Dietary Precautions During Pregnancy
When you are pregnant, you should be sure to wash all raw vegetables prior to consumption. Raw vegetables have the potential to carry toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that is typically carried in the feces of cats. It can sometimes get into the soil and contaminate fruits or vegetables.
Five Ways to Read Your Bodys Changes before Pregnancy Test
What are the most unforgettable changes happen to your body when pregnant? There are a few things, but mostly women can't forget about their breast which get sore and sensitive and their belly which get bigger and bigger during nine month.
Exercising After Pregnancy
Generally most women can begin a formal exercise program within 6 weeks of giving birth, though this time frame might be slightly longer for some women, including those recovering from a C-section. Most women recovering from a C-section will be able to exercise after there incision has healed and their doctor has cleared them for exercise.
Baby Shower Gift Ideas
Selecting a present for a new mom or dad can be a challenging task. Baby showers are a great way to help support a new mother with her new baby. New mothers can sign up at a gift registry to avoid duplicate gifts and to indicate her gift preferences. Here are some good gift ideas for baby showers:
Keeping Cool When Pregnant
Chill Out: how to keep your cool this summer
Common misspellings for words used in this page include actualy agian, agin, agina alcahol, alchohol, alchol, alcohal, alochol alchoholic, alcholic, alcoholical allready alreayd, aready alsot, aslo alwasy, alwyas ammount adn, anbd anytying aroud, arround, arund artical, artice, articel availaible, availble, availiable, availible, avalable, avaliable, avilable babeis, babeis, babes, babes babey, babey, bayb, bayb bakc, bcak beatiful, beautyfull baceause, beacuse, becasue, beccause, becouse, becuase bedore, befoer, befor beggin beleive, beleive, belive benifits betwen, bewteen inbetween, vetween bu cant cannnot, cant cant careing chalenging coffe confortable concieve, concieve, concive, conseive, conseve concieved conserned consectutive concider, consdider containes, countains contaiminate controll coudl, sould crtical deside develope daiper, daiper, diaepr, diaepr, diapre, dipaer, dipaer didnt, didnt diferent, diferrent, differnt, diffrent unconfortability doens doesnt, dosen't doign, donig dupicate buring, durig, durring, duting eahc eearly affort, efford alse, esle especialy, expecially, expecially establising evenhtually, eventally, eventially, eventualy eveyr everthing excelent, excellant, exelent, exellent ecercise, esercise, excercise, exercide, exerciee, exercsie, exerdise, exersize, exervise, exerxise, exrecise, ezercise exerciese experiance, expierence fiel fertily fidn firt, firts foucs fomr, frome generaly gogin, goign, gonig, oging gerat, graet, grat, gret ahppen, hapen ahev, ahve, haev, hvae, hvea hvaing healthercare heathy heared, herad halp htere housr husban idaes, idesa indentify illess, ilness importamt includ includng, incuding, inlcuding incompetant, incomptetent inclreased inital, intial initation intrest inot isnt it's jstu knwo,konw, kwno, nkow, nkwo lastr, lsat leanr, leran lefted liek, liuke lmits littel loosing loev, lveo, lvoe lieing, lieing amke, mkae, mkea amking, mkaing mariage, marrage, marraige, marage, marrige, marige mabey mena medial minuet monts moreso, mroe, omre musells, mussel, mussells, mussell, muscels ened enxt nto, onot ofen oftenly lonly, onyl nother, otehr pwn parenteral particuarly, particularily, particulary peopel peronal, personel phyiscal, physcal palce possable, possibile pratice pragnency, pergancy, pergnancy, pregancy, pregnacy, pregnecy pregant, pregnat, pregnet perscription, perscription primarly probablly, probaly, probly, probly, prolly, prolly progrom propper quicklyu rela erally, raelly, realy, realyl, relaly recomended, reccomended, reccommended refered, reffered regluar relatiopnship, relatonship remeber responibilities, responsibilites responnsibilty, responsability, responsiblity rediculous, rediculous rulle smae schedual sence senstive severeal shoudl, shoudln, sould shoudln, shouldnt, shoudln sohw sicne, sinse sose smoe, soem somtimes strat stpo stange strenghen, strenghten succesful, succesfull, successfull, succsessfull, sucesful, sucesfull, sucessful, sucessfull wupport simptoms, simtoms, symptems, symptims, symptums, symtims, symtoms, sypmtoms sytem tkae tkaing techiniques temerature, tempertaure, temperture tahn, thna taht, tath, thast, thgat, thta, thyat thast, thast hten, tghe, ther, thge, tjhe ther, theri, thier, thier thne their, ther theese htey, tehy, tyhe hting, thign, thnig thigns, thigsn, thnigs htikn, htink, thikn, thiunk, tihkn htis, thsi, tihs ethose, thsoe throught threee throught, thru thoughout, throught, througout tiem, timne, tiome twpo typicaly unforgetable uninterruped, uninterupted uneccesary, unecessary, unneccesary, unneccessary, unnecesary unplesant untill unsed vaginsl, vagnial, vagonal, vagunal, varinal, vatinal, vsginal variey, varity, vreity, vriety vegitables veyr, vrey, vyer, vyre wanna, watn, whant, wnat wass, weas, ws warter waight, wait, wate, weigt, weiht, weit vell waht, whta wehn, whn hwihc, whcih, whic, whihc, whlch, wich hwile hwole, wohle iwll, wille, wiull withing owrk, wokr, wrok owudl, woudl writen eyars, eyasr, yeasr, yeras, yersa youself dranking, drunking, drikning, .