Advice for the first few days home after delivery?

There were a few things I did to make my few days home easier for me when I had my 2nd & 3rd child.

1) If you are breastfeeding, have some ice packs on hand around day 3 - you'll probably get engorged and it is painful. The ice will help take the swelling down so the baby can latch on easier. Heat will make your milk flow, but the swelling needs to come down first. Have a good pump on hand, too, Medela makes some great hand pumps.

2) Have your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry full of food. Prepare meals and freeze some before delivery. You will get tired of eating out. Have snack foods on hand, too, because if you are breastfeeding, you'll be hungrier than normal. I would eat sandwiches in the middle of the night.

3) Don't try to schedule the baby yet - on anything. Newborns feed and sleep on demand. They do a lot of both for at least 8 weeks.

4) Sleep when the baby sleeps. One thing I wish someone had told me is that babies make noises when they sleep. Don't rush in at the first peep. Give him at least 5 minutes to fuss back to sleep before you go in and rock, bounce, snuggle, etc. Getting back to sleep on his own will be invaluable as he grows.

5) Take advantage of people that offer to help. Let them cook , clean, babysit, anything. You will need your rest.

6) This might sound crazy, but have two bags of frozen peas on hand. When I arrived home, my body had not lost all the extra fluid and I retained it in my ankles for almost two weeks! You might need to put your feet up and put some ice on them to help with the swelling. Frozen peas mold great to ankles!

7) If you find yourself a mom checking to make sure the baby is breathing, I suggest the Angelcare Monitor. It alleviated a lot of my stress regarding SIDS.

8)Most importantly, the housework can wait. Enjoy your moments with your newborn. There will be stressful times and you are going to be EXTREMELY tired, but don't worry about letting everything else fall to the side. Talk to your hubby now about that, don't let him be surprised! :) Taking care of a single baby is hard work. It requires a lot. It will get better and time works wonders.

Good luck and congratulations! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I remember being a first time mom all too well. Having friends and taking care of yourself with help tremendously!

I never thought it was horrible, I was just really, really overwhelmed.

I had a c-section so I was in the hospital a little longer, and was really sore when I came home and was unable to pick up my (10 lb!) daughter. You always hear they eat every 2-3 hours, and they do, but what threw me off is sometimes they can take an hour to eat, burp, eat a little more, burp....so you are basically constantly feeding. And if you are like me you will have trouble having someone else "take over" while you sleep because you will worry about what they are doing while you are laying there...especially if your baby is awake with them.

They say sleep when the baby sleeps...DO THAT!!!!!! I cannot stress that enough. I didn't do that either. I wanted to be super-mom. Then at 3am I was kicking myself for not napping when I had the opportunity earlier that day. The sleep deprivation was what got me I guess. It just makes everything seem harder then it is...and when your hormones are out of whack that makes for a really emotional momma! Rest now, while you can....before the baby, and even before you hit 35 or so weeks, because you wont sleep well then either.

What helped me was to have meals frozen and prepared (family helped w/ that) because you wont be cooking. Also, I put my dog in w/ a family member for the 1st week. He is "high maintenace" to say the least, and it was just one less thing to worry about.

Generally, for the 1st few days, your little one will sleep and eat. When they start to "wake up" after the 1st week is when you will need help...and that seems to be when most of your helpers have gone away =(

Also, one last thing. I was very emotional for the first couple weeks...cried at anything...that too, is also normal.

...and I just wanted to add this...

things will NOT go as planned and that is ok. I am a 1st time mom, and I had visions of having my daughter happy all the time, snoozing in her crib, bathed and smelling pretty everynight in cute pj's, having her asleep by 8 so my hubby and I could sit and watch tv together and marvel at our new life together...that is not how it happens.

My daughter was very colicky, and I remember when she was about 5 weeks old (colic peak) and she was swinging in her swing, at 3 am, in the clothes she wore all day, listening to static (white noise calmed her) on my husbands dirty, paint covered radio that we pulled out of the garage out of sheer desperation.

If that scenario happens to you, people will tell you it gets better...and it does =)

First and foremost, have someone tell the rest of the family to give it a couple days before they flood your house out with unwanted company!! It can be so stressful. My husband's in the military and so we live in North Carolina, we're originally from Pennsylvania. We lived in a condo when I had our son. We had both sets of parents, his sister and her husband and his cousin there all at the same time for over a week. I was so upset because I wanted the first few days to work on resting and breastfeeding. You may not be as happy as you thought you would be too. It's extremely common to go through what they call post partum depression. You'll basically be on an emotional rollercoaster, but the feeling of happiness that your little one is FINALLY here will over power all the other feelings. It's sounds alot scarier than what it really is, you kinda float through it too being that you're on about 2 hours of sleep. Just tell the family to calm down!!! I'm pregnant with our second and I made sure to make it clear that everyone has to wait, I like having my sanity! Good luck with your little one, I turn 30 weeks tomorrow so I'm having a February baby as well!

I wouldn't describe it as "horrible" but it can be overwhelming for a 1st time mom. If you have a close family member that could stay with you the first week, that would be a great help! My husband was able to stay home from work with me the first few days, my mom stayed with us the following week which really help a lot. It's just a difficult adjustment at first, you are sore (whether you delivered vaginally or by c-section), and the baby can be demanding at times. My daughter didn't sleep as much as I've heard other babies do (she still doesn't at 4.5 months!). Your baby will want to eat every 2-3 hours around the clock. You will be changing a lot of diapers, and those first few poopy diapers and like tar, they are so hard to clean up! I think you just kinda have to "wing it" and see how it goes. Every baby is different, every mommy is different. Just remember to take it easy and accept help if it is offered, and by all means ASK for help if you need it! Don't try to do too many things at first, just focus on the baby. Congratulations, this is such an exciting time :)

It is not as bad as every makes it out to be. I got home 24 hours after having my daughter and it was me and my boyfriend alone the first night. If you breastfeed you will be up every 2hours but if you bottle feed sometimes your baby will sleep a little longer. I was very paranoid so even when my daughter was asleep, I was awake. She slept very well from that night on. My boyfriend was a huge help and when I was up with the baby so was he. The next day I had visitors come over and let me tell you, it is overwhelming but nice. If someone offers to watch the baby so you can take a shower, or eat or anything, take the opportunity.

You will question yourself a few times on if you can do it and are you doing everything right, just remember you can and you are. Your motherly instincts will kick in.

Good Luck and Congrats on the baby!

Congrats--I recommend spending the first few days in your pjs with the baby just getting to know one another. Don't worry about getting dressed, going out, doing any housework, etc. It's not horrible at all--it's wonderful. Especially because colic, tantrums, etc. all start later. Be prepared to feed baby around the clock--especially if it's a boy. My second son ate about every hour, which is normal. If you're breastfeeding you feel like you have this little thing attached to you 24/7 but that is the beginning of your bond of trust and love. When you're in your last weeks, you could cook ahead and freeze some meals--might come in handy after the delivery.

REST! That is all I can say is just rest. That is what worked best on me. What didn't work was trying to entertain people as they came over- that didn't last too long- they can entertain themselves! One thing that really helped us a lot was my Aunt and Mother in Law took turns making meals for us for the first month or so! It was extremely helpful! Don't try to do too much, there is only one thing that you need to do and that is spend time with that little one. And if you are breastfeeding you will find that this will be an easy task, because they will want to eat! =} Good Luck, Have Fun!!

Labor can begin whenever, or you'll be a couple of days past due. My first used to be born three days early. Walking can support pace matters up. The L&D employees will do some thing they may be able to to support make you comfy. Have a beginning plan typed up with what you wish for exertions akin to discomfort leadership, breast or formulation feeding, rooming in with little one, who will reduce the wire, and so on. When going house you are going to want support whether or not or no longer you had a vaginal or C-Section beginning. You will likely be sore after a vaginal beginning, however for those who do attempt to transfer round and no longer keep in mattress all day it is helping you get larger quicker. With a C-Section you'll be extra sore, and for longer. You are instructed to not raise something heavier than the little one or force for 2 weeks or climb stairs. You will likely be sore, however no longer as unhealthy as each person makes it out to be. My mother had a hysterectomy, and used to be strolling round hours after surgical procedure towards the nurses recommendation. Mind over subject. Have tons of support, sleep while the little one sleeps. You can take the little one out in public as quickly as you are discharged from the sanatorium.

I didnt think it was all that horrible with either of my kids when they first came home. Youngest was just born on Nov 25th. The best advice I have is just to throw all the great ideas you have of what all you are going to get done. I never finish everything I need to do no matter how early I start. Also just do whatever works for your child. With my first I said he was going to sleep in his crib from day one, well he turned out to be a screamer so he slept with me for 6 months and was only quiet when he was curled up next to me. My newest is in her pack n play sleeping in a snowsuit type thing and some little mittens right now because we were getting ready to run errands since I couldnt get her to quiet down and as soon as she was warm in her snowsuit she fell asleep on my chest. I know if my mom came over she would freak out and tell me to undress the baby so that she sleeps comfortably but since this is whats working right now I just kind of go with it.

Get your house cleaned before you go to hospital, and have someone help you if possible because when you get back after delivery, you will need to take it easy. Have baby things all organized and its bed away from drafts. Babies don't sleep much at night for the first couple of months or more. They will cry when they need something, even if it's just the sound of your voice. Try to stay on a feeding schedule.Limit visitors for the first couple of weeks.