The first few days at home as as important for the parents as they are for the child. Mother will be exhausted, physically and emotionally, Father will be overwhelmed. That’s' normal, there's nothing wrong with feeling like that.
For those first few days, just sit back, cuddle your newborn, cuddle each other. Take time to be a family. That might mean having to ask family and friends to give you a few days before they all invade your home to coo over the baby. Don't be afraid of that; they'll understand.
As a Mother, you need to take some time to focus on your own body and mind. It's normal to feel a little shaky, emotionally and physically, after the birth. If you take care of yourself now, you won't find the "baby blues" becoming something more serious. Be patient with yourself, ask that you partner and your family give you the time you need, be aware of how you're feeling and think about what it means for you and your family. If you find that you're becoming more depressed, se your doctor. It's nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be afraid of. There's plenty of support and help out there for you; people will understand.
To give you an idea of what to look out for, these are the symptoms of post-partum depression:
• Overwhelming feelings of sadness and depression accompanied by crying.
• Having little or no energy.
• Feelings of guilt and worthlessness.
• Having no interest in your baby or being overly concerned and worried about your baby.
• Weight gain accompanied with overeating.
• Weight loss accompanied by not eating.
• Feeling afraid of hurting yourself or your baby.
• Insomnia.
• Oversleeping.
It's not just the parents that need to adjust. Other chidlren may be experiencing feelings of jealousy towards this little interloper. That's natural too but parents need to encourage their older children to love and accept their new sibling. Include your other children in those first few days, make it a special family time. Let older children get involved in the day-to-day activities of baby care, let them hold the baby, let them know that they are just as much a part of your life as they were before their new sibling came along.
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