Early Days With Your Baby - Janine Smith Practice

The early days with your baby can be calm and quiet, giving you chance to heal and slowly adjust or it can be overwhelming and chaotic as you try to meet your baby’s needs.

You need to look after yourself in those early days – rest, eat & drink regularly – and it can also help to get some support and reassurance about life with a new baby, as well as to talk through the birth of your baby.

The early days can also be full of huge emotions, as your hormone levels change, your milk comes in and you might be feeling pretty sore from birth.

In those early days with your baby it can be helpful to remember…

to expect some chaos with no schedule – your baby’s needs will vary day by day and they are just working out their new world as well
some babies are placid and adjust to life outside the womb really easily, while others need much more reassurance and all the cuddles to feel secure
to get to know your baby
bonding isn’t always instant and it can take several days, into weeks to feel connected to your baby
to rest as much as you can
to be looked after
to use your breathing to stay calm, to help with any discomfort and to help settle your baby
get some support with feeding or if you have any concerns
to look after yourself
just go with your baby’s needs – chances are your baby will need to feed often and will be more settled when cuddled and carried
if the early days are tough, you are not getting it wrong – it can be a steep learning curve