First Few weeks

We Indians hadn't heard about the word POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION till recently. But I think we Indian mothers suffer from this more, as lots of things surrounding us adds fuel to the medical condition. Imagine each and every member of the large extended family giving suggestions to how to bring up the baby, visits from everyone not only disturbs the baby but also mother :), but can we help it?

This is where mothers have to put the foot down. Please do not disturb the baby - whoever the visitor is, baby doesn't know them, will not know even with introductions. So don't bother to wake the sleeping child, newborns need lots of sleep, and when the baby sleeps mother can also rest, it helps a lot for the depression.

It takes time for the baby to get adjusted to the outside world, help the baby by setting the feeding time and the sleeping time - all with trial and error method. First 2-3 weeks feeding will be every 2 hours, and the baby will sleep all the other time. Gradually it''ll increase to 4 hours with waking hours also increasing to 3-6 hours per day. Adjust these waking hours to coincide with bathing/feeding/diaper changing time and also few mins playtime in the evening.

once you do this you can forget about sleepless nights :). It depends on you whether you want to spend few weeks adjusting the baby to your timings or spend rest of your life to get adjusted to baby's timings and suffer with sleepless nights which will surely add on to the depression.

New Moms

After the first two vague blogs, I didn't feel like blogging. when I started it, everyone were doing it, so I did it :). For a while I was thinking of starting with cooking blogs.....there are 1000s I found out, so was thinking about good subject :) which will interest me.

Talking to my cousin yesterday I thought it was a good idea to talk about new moms and their problems to raise their young ones.

Shall I start with pregnancy first?
Feeling about the life inside you? But can't express it? You are body is feeling different? Feeling sick/No - not at all - is it OK? Getting emotional? Having lots of scenes - fights/crying - with the better half? - Don't worry you are normal, its just the hormones doing it....... it will continue and get worst with cravings, body enlargements.

First trimester is all about getting used to the happiness, sickness, fear etc.
Second trimester is about cravings, emotions, kicking/movements of the baby - happiness continues, sickness/fear also for some.
Third trimester more cravings, more movements, more happiness, more of everything leads to tiredness and wait for the baby to arrive.

That's pregnancy in short........let me start with the baby arriving.......
Baby next to you.....wow! what a feeling! I don't think anyone can sum up the emotions in few words. All the pain you went thro in past few months and more in past few hours just disappears the moment you see that bundle.

Now starts the actual problem........to stay thro your life, but this is the problem which you welcome with open arms, lots of hugs, kisses, such love you never knew existed within you.

First few days is a real ordeal......what with your hormones, baby's needs and the suggestions of people around you will lead to is unimaginable. So this is where you need to brace yourself and take control.