By Suzana Tips For the New Mother
When your baby is born the fun really begins. A new life, a new start for both of you. You, especially need to look after yourself well to cope with the demands a new baby will bring.
It’s not possible for everyone to breastfeed due to their circumstances but there are many advantages to both mother and baby if it is possible for you to do so. Your breast milk contains all the nutrients and antibodies your baby needs for those first few months of life. Breastfeeding will also help you to shed weight much faster. You will be burning calories, up to 500 a day.
Having written about burning calories, you do need to eat well and, in fact, I have read that you need an extra 500 calories approximately to cope with the demands of breastfeeding; this is to support breast milk production. Hence like many people, I have wondered how weight loss will occur as the calories in versus calories out seems balanced. However, research has proven that breast feeding actually does help the new mother to lose weight.
Grab all the support you can. If you are fortunate enough to have a supportive family, you will appreciate the offers of help they give. Don’t try to do everything yourself. However, many family members live long distances from each other so it is not always possible to get the additional help you require. Your partner will probably take parental leave (granted to new fathers in many workplaces today) so this will certainly help. Your baby may wake up often for a feed, make sure that when baby sleeps you rest up as well. The housework can wait until you establish a routine that works for you both.
Don’t try to run around doing various chores, you need time to recover from the birth. So make sure those first few months you focus on your baby. If friends do visit, you can ask them to help out. Many friends will be only to happy to run to the shops or give your house a quick vacuum, so don’t be proud, accept the kindness given because one day you may be able to return the favour.
Those first few months with baby pass much too quickly, so take time out and enjoy it; before you know it you will have a lively toddler on your hands!