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Caring a Newborn

Having your baby at home and taking care about all its needs it is such a work and such a burden for young parents for who are just getting into habit to pay all their free time to the baby. It is hard to be in the situation when there is no one around to help you. But if you try you are sure to find relatives' or professionals' care, someone around who is ready to extend a helping hand to young mommy and daddy.

It's not uncommon that when you bring home a new baby, people will offer all sorts of help. However it's less common for most to actually follow through on those offers.

If you do have someone such as a good friend or relative who's willing to really pitch in for a week or so after the birth of your baby, you're probably counting yourself lucky. But before you jump at their offer of help, you should stop and think about the type of help you need.

As already emphasized, everyone needs extra help during the first few weeks alone with a new baby. Ideally, you were able to make arrangements for help before your baby was born. The best person to help (if you get along with her) is usually your mother or mother-in-law. If not, teenagers or adults can be hired to come in several times a week to help with housework or look after your baby while you go out or get a nap. If you have other young children, you will need daily help.

Clarify that your role is looking after your baby. Your helper's role is to shop, cook, houseclean, and wash clothes and dishes. If your newborn has a medical problem that requires special care, ask for home visits by a public health nurse.

Child birth, breast feeding and those middle-of-the-night wakings can be quite taxing on new a mom who is precisely why it's important that help provides new moms with an opportunity to take care of themselves and their babies, instead of the household chores.

A real key point to remember for brand new moms is they're learning to be moms and getting to know their baby. So people who are trying to help them should try to help them with the other support work, and let mom be with baby so she can get to know her job.

So go ahead and welcome the help from your good friend or relative. Just remember that your job is to take care of and bond with your newborn. Theirs is to make that happen with a little less worry and effort on your part.

Only close friends and relatives should visit you during your first month at home. They should not visit if they are sick.

To prevent unannounced visitors, the parents can put up a sign saying MOTHER AND BABY SLEEPING. NO VISITORS. PLEASE CALL FIRST. Friends without children may not understand your needs. During visits the visitor should also pay special attention to older siblings.