by Joyce D. Sinclair

Created on: December 04, 2008

You just spent the past 9+ months getting ready for the arrival of your baby. You've been to all of your prenatal appointments and have taken your prenatal vitamins everyday. You've decorated the baby's room and survived the baby shower. And you finally made it through the labor and delivery. Your baby, whom you have merely dreamed about the better part of the year, is sleeping in your arms. So now what?

It's important to get as much rest as you can while you're in the hospital. Let the nurses take the baby to the nursery at night. You'll be up at night for the next 4-6 months anyway. It's the last chance at a full night's rest for a while.

If you breastfeed, it's important to begin as soon as possible, within the first couple of hours after birth, depending on the health of the mother and baby. During the first week of breastfeeding, your nipples may be sore. Ask the nurse for some ointment, such as white petroleum jelly or lotion (like Lansinoh).

Some women require a few stitches after childbirth (called an episiotomy). The healing process can be painful as it heals, sometimes taking weeks to be able to walk and feel normal again. The hospital will give you a squirt bottle that you fill up with warm water to spray down there after you use the washroom. It acts like a bide. Be sure that you pat dry instead of wiping. If the stitches are bothersome, use some Tucks pads or Preparation H pads. Another thing that you can use is witchhazel (a natural soothing agent, and one of the main ingredients in the Tucks and Preparation H pads) on a cosmetic pad or a folded paper towel.

Many women choose to have epidurals during labor to relieve the pains from the contractions. Epidurals are pain medications that are administered directly into the spine. For many women, including myself, the injection point on my back was sore after the delivery. It felt like my back was bruised. Try some Aspercream lotion, taking some over-the-counter pain medication or a warm shower. Doing light stretches will also help your back muscles make the adjustment from being pregnant to normalcy.

As your hormones also adjust, your skin will act different. Your arms, hands, legs and feet may seem drier than before, especially if it is winter. Your belly may also need extra lotion as well as it comes back down to size (or somewhere close). It might be a good idea to get a good lotion with shea butter or cocoa butter. Some women will find themselves suffering from breakouts on their face, chest, or

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>