You have just gone through the ups and downs of pregnancy and now you finally get to hold your baby face to face. Hence, the first few weeks may need some getting used to as you now have an additional person to take care off. Below are some of the things you may expect to encounter during the first 6 weeks with your baby.

1st week

You may still feel sore and tired and still recovering from the effects of labor. All attention is normally on the baby as everyone tries to settle down into a new routine. Do not be surprise to see that your baby is losing weight during the first week. This is normal.

2nd week

Some mothers are still feeling tired and more attention is needed to take care of their health. Good nutrition and enough sleep and rest is important but may be difficult to acquire. If you get any assistance from family members, it would be very helpful to you. Hiring a nanny or a companion is not uncommon nowadays especially for the first few weeks to assist in taking care of the newborn. Your baby will be sleeping a lot around this time, 15 – 16 hours a day.

photo credit: iandeth

3rd week

You will know your baby’s routine by now and you have learned to do your own things when the baby is sleeping. Your baby will want to feed often and will also be more alert. Some babies may also start to display signs of having colic around this time. He may be crying for more than 3 hours a day, for more than 3 days a week.

4th week

This week, you may feel like going out with your baby as you should be feeling strong and fully recovered. You and your baby will have settled down to a daily routine and you may notice your baby’s sleeping pattern as well. Prepare a carryall bag to keep all the necessary baby stuffs you think that is needed for an outing. Going out will become faster and easier as you just need to grab the bag each time.

photo credit: Bjørn Giesenbauer

5th week

Generally, you should be feeling happy and energetic. However, if you find that you are feeling down, tearful, unable to sleep and worry a lot, you may have Post Natal Depression (PND). Talk to your doctor about your symptoms for advice. Your baby will be making a lot of eye contact and loves to hear your voice. Learn to differentiate your baby’s cries on whether he is hungry, tired or in pain.

6th week

By this time, you should be feeling in control of your life once more. You may want to give more attention to the other areas of your life, for example your relationship with your partner. Your baby will love playing and interacting with you. Most babies will also start to sleep for 5 to 6 hours at night.

Personally, the first four weeks were normally tough for me. Feeling tired and sleepy are common and all activities centered around the baby. On top of that, the baby has not learned to sleep through the night yet and hence, sleep was only 2 – 3 hours at a stretch each night.

photo credit: allspice1

There are quite a number of things to prepare before a new baby’s arrival. Every parent’s purchasing power or the ability to provide for the new baby will vary. From the very beginning, it is advisable to differentiate the things that go under ‘needs’ and those that go under ‘wants’. This will prevent unnecessary purchases and a waste of money.

Below are a list of things commonly prepared to greet the arrival of a new baby. Consider it as a checklist and beside each item you may note down whether it is a ‘need’ or a ‘want’. There are some things that you may need to purchase more than one item such as the baby’s vest or nappies.

Things for the baby

• Clothing
- Cotton vests (or dresses for girls)
- Stretchsuits
- Sleepwear
- Socks and mittens
- Shawl or blanket
- Baby’s hat
- Cotton nappies or disposable diapers

Tip: The baby will outgrow the newborn clothes very fast, so it is not necessary to purchase in big quantity. Buy two or three sets as starters and get new clothes later on as the baby will continue to grow at a fast rate. Use cotton nappies during the daytime and disposable diapers at nighttime to save money on the disposable diapers.

• Feeding Equipment
- Bottles and teats
- Sterilizing equipment
- Milk powder or formula

Tip: Combining breastfeeding and using milk powder will reduce your cost of buying the formula. This is what I did, breastfeeding at night and using milk powder during the daytime when I am at work.

Tip: It is advisable not to use pillows, quilts, duvets or cot bumper as these can be a hazard to the baby.

• Bathing equipment
- Portable baby bath (normally made of plastic)
- Soap and shampoo
- Baby powder and lotion
- Diaper rash cream
- Big and small towels

• Baby carrier
• Baby chair
• Rocker
• Car seat
• High chair
• Prams or pushchairs
• Changing bag or traveling bag
• Baby monitor
• Toys

As you can see, it is a long list. If you have a tight budget, get essential items only in the beginning. Purchase other items later on if there is a need. Bear in mind that the baby will outgrow some things very fast like clothing, the baby chair and rocker. I know of some moms who don’t mind to use second hand stuffs as they realize that their baby will not be using them for long.

When I had my third child, I was still using the things from my first child (7 years apart) including the clothing. My advice is to clean and maintain all the things as best as possible and they actually last for years.

To be a first time mother to a new baby is an exhilarating feeling especially when you hold the baby in your arms for the first time. It is an indescribable feeling, nothing short of a miracle.

Postpartum depression

Right after giving birth to a baby, some mothers may experience postpartum depression or also known as postnatal depression. You will feel sad, weepy and hopeless. Getting the ‘baby blues’ is also common but it is less serious compared to having postpartum depression. The baby blues give the same moody and teary feelings but normally goes away after several weeks. Postpartum depression however can drag for several months and is caused by the changes in your hormone levels. If it is so severe, your doctor may prescribe both counseling and antidepressant medicine.

Life adjustment

First time mothers have to adjust to a totally different life with the coming of a new baby. The sense of responsibility can be overwhelming. A lot of energy will be spent on taking care of the baby and less will be spent on oneself.

The feeling of being tired and not getting enough rest will be ever present. So my advice is to get enough rest and do not refuse any offers of help from your spouse, mother or other family members. To enable you to gain your strength and form back, eat nutritious food. Ensure that you eat a balance food and get a balance nutrition and this is even more important if you are breastfeeding your newborn.

Confinement period

In the Asian culture, it is normal to have a certain confinement period (about one month) right after giving birth to a baby. There will be stringent guidelines to follow on what to do and what to eat. Personally, I did not follow the rules 100% and as long as my mother was not complaining, I did not complaint either. One of the strict rules was not to wash my hair for an entire month which almost at the end of the confinement period looked positively horrendous. I also had to consume chicken soup daily, cooked with lots of ginger and a local rice wine. This was to help me gain my strength quickly.

Coping with a baby

For the first or two months of the baby’s life, you may find it difficult to get your chores done as the baby has not settled down into a predictable routine. Eventually, you can schedule your chores or housework around the baby’s sleep time. Luckily for first time mothers, babies do sleep a lot the first few months of their lives.

When your baby is about three months old, both of you should have settled down and now enjoying each other’s company very much. Now that my own daughter (youngest child) is two years old, I actually missed her baby growing up period. It is amazing how she grew up so fast. Children seem to grow up by leaps and bounds and accomplish so many things within a short period of time. It never ceases to amaze me on their ability to pick up skills like crawling, walking, running and talking. Therefore, watch your baby closely and don’t miss a single precious thing.