Bringing home your newborn is an incredibly exciting time - but what do you do next? There's no hospital buzzer to press for help and advice; no midwife standing by to encourage you and teach you new skills - it's time to discover your own parenting journey.
As a new parent you now discover a depth to the swirling emotions of anxiety, excitement, fear, joy, uncertainty and disbelief that you have never experienced before.
Your baby is thriving and settled but you find yourself checking on her every few minutes. You have a loving partner and a healthy baby but you just can't seem to control the tears. Your body won't rest despite having recently completed the equivalent of a marathon, and your breasts leak - but don't worry, it's all normal. You may be used to being in control - but now is not the time. Just relax and go with what your heart and instincts are telling you.
The first few weeks is not the time to put newborns in a routine, worry about spoiling them or worry they will form bad habits. Don't be a martyr - accept any help offered from close friends and family. Accepting help is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength. It's all about surviving the madness.
Have visitors cook, clean, iron, shop and wash... but leave the cuddling or caring for your newborn to you and your partner.
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"Maternal- Infant Bonding", by Dr Marshall H. Klaus and Dr John H. Kennell shows the bonding period in the weeks following birth is vital for foundations of human attachment and relationships. But don't fret - not all parents have warm fuzzy feelings towards their baby at birth; it can take time. The birthing experience and your parenting expectations play a significant part in how you feel and cope as a new parent. You may have formulated ideas of what living with a newborn will be like; well, here is a realistic one. Newborns cry - it's their first form of