After giving birth, feelings may surface that you were unaware of before. You will probably feel like the luckiest woman in the world, while simultaneously feeling down. Many mothers have these mixed feelings after childbirth.
Where do these feelings come from?
The birth of a child is a major event for both parents; it requires mountains of energy.
Your body is not yet back to normal and still has to recover from the physical exertion. There are many biological changes with childbirth, your hormone levels change rapidly and you may experience stress and fatigue due to repeated disruption of sleep at night.
Baby blues
When you add all of this up, this may be a rather difficult period. No wonder then that you are feeling oversensitive. This may be expressed in unexplained crying jags and the baby blues.
Most women experience a 'crying day' around three or four days after giving birth. It is part of the process.
Take the time to adjust to your situation
The arrival of a baby represents a major upset in the lives of both parents. Every new child puts a family off balance a bit. It takes time for everyone to re-establish their position, after which a new balance emerges.
Give yourself time to grow into your new role.
Setting the right priorities is undoubtedly the most difficult task for young parents. A baby can be a major disruption to a person’s structured life. Your day and night schedule will be determined by your child. The more you can accept this, the more you will enjoy being a parent.
Tips
- Get sufficient rest
- Do not hold back on crying fits
- Give yourself time to adjust to the new situation
- The help and sympathy you receive from your family and friends is precious
- Arrange for a maternity care service, if necessary
- Ask visitors to give plenty of advance notice, and try to limit the number of visits in the first few weeks
- Do not wait to call on professional help (GP, midwife) if negative feelings persist
For the partner
During the delivery and maternity period, your role as the partner is very important. You are the home base, the person who knows your wife best and who she wants by her side, especially in difficult times. Be sure to be there for her when she needs your support.
By sharing your worries, but also the moments of joy, you can both enjoy growing into your parenthood.
We are here for you
It is perfectly normal that you are not always sure of what to do. Learning to be a mother and father comes through experience.
If it all becomes too much for you and you are afraid that you will be unable to cope, be sure to discuss this with your midwife. Together, you can work on finding a good solution.