Motherhood isn’t a child’s play. Mothers go through a lot of emotional feelings after the birth of their first child. Sometimes new mothers can feel stressed out and neglected in the process of taking care of their child.
Now, we will look at some of important challenges that a new mother faces –
1. Nursing your baby
Most of us think that nursing comes naturally to mothers. But it’s not true. Initially new mothers feel constant pressure from doctor’s and family members to nurse the baby. Breast feeding is strongly advocated by doctors for various reasons like building a bond with your child, increasing their immune system, losing weight etc. The most important thing is that the child and you should be comfortable during the feeds. Remember you will not get it right instantly but definitely over a period of few weeks, you will be able to gauge the most comfortable position for you and your baby. Take the help of your doctor or another mother who has nursed her children for suggestions which might make things better for you.
2. Less Sleep
If you are a new mother then you are definitely sleep deprived. You can even have dreams of having sleep vacations, like full 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. But jokes apart, you will have to face this reality that your child is going to wake up every 2 hours to get their feed and so it’s good to sleep whenever your child sleeps. Remember these little naps will add up and give you some much needed rest. Most of the time lack of sleep leads to headaches, irritability, depression etc.
3. Accept the changes in your body
Many women feel that their body needs to come back to pre-pregnancy state immediately. That’s easier said than done. It takes almost a year to come back to your pre-pregnancy state. Many women feel that they still look pregnant even after delivery. Even those who lose weight with extreme diets will find that their body does not return to its original shape for e.g., hair fall, increase in your breast size, wide hips, stretch marks etc. Remember to be healthy as you are a nursing mother. Breast feeding is a good way to lose weight as well. Never criticise your body, but think how amazingly God has used you to create your child.
4. Hormonal changes
After delivery, the Progesterone levels drop down drastically just as your placenta is dropped. The hormonal state of a new mother is very low and if you combine this with lack of sleep it will be very bad. Most women feel depressed, lonely and stressed out doing 24/7 baby jobs. While we would encourage you to talk to your husband about your feelings, remember that this is a phase of life which will pass. Every new born mother goes through almost the same things, one way or the other. Look at the positive things and keep yourself encouraged.
5. Stressed about baby things
Most of the new mothers are constantly worried about feeding their babies on time, caring for them, is the baby doing enough of wet diapers, is burping done correctly, is the baby sleeping correctly so on and so forth. There are unlimited questions that can stress you out but the key thing is to feed your baby and take care of yourself and the baby.
Some of the other things that seem challenging are:
1. Try to be patient
2. Getting your child to eat right
3. Potty training of your child
4. Sibling rivalry
5. Leaving your child for the first time when resuming work
6. Encouraging good sleep habits in your child
7. Taking care of your child in times of sickness and not getting worried
So mothers, we would encourage you to patiently take on this new responsibility of motherhood and enjoy the journey. You may have ups and downs in your journey but remember to enjoy the journey.
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Tags: breast feeding, challenges of motherhood, hormonal changes, lack of sleep, young mothers
