Postpartum period

It's done! The delivery was actually always different than expected, but you did it! Your baby is here! That's always something to be very proud of. Life goes on after you! You have to recover from childbirth, sometimes you still have to stay in the hospital. Snuggle up in your bed and stay there for a bit of camping for the time being. After giving birth, the first 4 are full of adrenaline; Sleeping is difficult. You rest in bed anyway. Peeing burns, with or without stitches. You also lose relatively a lot of blood on the first day (long menstrual period). Peeing in the shower is often the best. During the first 24 hours, your baby will breastfeed a few times. That takes some getting used to for both of you. It seemed so simple with other women... Try not to stress; Your baby has just been born and has eaten well through the umbilical cord until birth. Keep your child close to you, let him smell you. Learning to latch on to the breast takes time. A baby looks for your nipple when he is hungry and the more your nipple is a point, the easier it is. If you bottle feed, your child will get 10 milliliters at a time. It is nice if your child drinks breast or bottle 4 times in the first 24 hours. The baby doesn't have to pee yet, but after 24 hours the baby will have pooped. That poop is black and sticky (meconium).

De eerste nacht slapen bijna alle baby’tjes best goed, jijzelf niet helaas. Je partner ook niet.

The first night, almost all babies sleep quite well, unfortunately not you. Neither does your partner. The little one murmurs, makes funny noises. A baby breathes more shallowly than we do. Changing and dressing is awkward, what was front and back again? Take it easy, don't stress, you can't get it wrong. After the first 24 hours, you will notice that your baby wants to drink more often at the breast (or bottle, today 20 ml per feeding). Now that the little one is rested, the idea is that he or she drinks fifteen minutes per breast every 3-4 hours so that both your breasts are stimulated. It's true that you haven't noticed any change in your breasts yet; Small amounts of colostrum come out. And that's good! Your baby should breastfeed well (at least 10 minutes) at least 6 times per 24 hours. Peeing is now often possible, in the diaper you sometimes see some pink 'powder', which are urates and is normal the first week. Only in books do you read about the motherly feeling you would have immediately when a baby is born. It's different for everyone. Being a mother is just as difficult to describe as, say, being an adult. It is hard to comprehend that this is your baby who will stay with you forever.

Ok. Now it gets more challenging, the baby wants to breastfeed more and more. This is because he is now really starting to get hungry and breastfeeding is almost but not really well underway. And that's normal. You will feel your breasts swelling (engorgement). Wear one or even two bras on top of each other to support your breasts. Latching on is easier, but now the little one comes every two hours to drink. Help! The adrenaline that kept you alert until now is waning. Y Doubt sets in; Am I breastfeeding enough? Why did I want to breastfeed again? Try to realize that this is the normal course, tomorrow the feeding will start and your baby will be weighed. Your partner feels a bit helpless, the feeding falls on you. Let go of the household and let your partner do it. He, too, is tired. If possible, take naps together. The poop has changed from black to dark green and your child urinates 2 times a day or more. If you bottle feed, it is now 30 ml per feeding. Today, the baby must also be reported to the municipality at the latest.

It get's easier!!

If you are breastfeeding, you are now at the peak of the engorgement. As a result, your child will find it more difficult to grab the nipple properly. Baby blues. You are more emotional than you thought. Why didn't anyone say this? You feel emotional, tired, tense. A few times a day, you might suddenly feel like crying. You want to do everything right the first time as a new mother and that is obviously not possible. Take your rest. Sleep is very, very important. The maternity care weighs your baby, all babies lose weight in the first few days; up to 7% is normal. If latching on is still difficult, it is sometimes necessary to pump for a while to speed up the process of breastfeeding and give you rest. This day is often the most intense day.

These feelings of heavyness or baby blues are common and not something to worry about!

Suddenly, everything seems to be going much better. Your breasts are no longer so hard, your child can grab your nipples more easily and drinks really well. Every breast for fifteen minutes is no longer possible; After one breast, your baby looks exhausted. Small amounts of milk come back; it's yellowish! The poop is now brownish-yellow and the puddles are getting more and more. The umbilical cord that is still attached to your child dries out more and more and sometimes starts to smell a bit. Also normal, let the strand rise above the diaper as much as possible then it dries faster and falls off. If you had stitches, we will remove the stitches you see on the outside during our home visit. Their work is done, and although they are soluble, they only become more itchy and tight.

On this day you suddenly notice that it is easier to really sleep deeply. And although your baby still needs to drink every 3-4 hours, feeding takes a little less time, you are already getting to know each other! You feel a little more human. Defecation is often also on this day (or earlier). After you have registered your child with the municipality, a message has also been sent to the child health clinic that a baby has been born. They often come on this day to do the heel prick and the ear test

How time has flown and how time stood still. You already feel like seeing something other than your own home. Maybe a short walk? This is never a problem for your child, as long as he or she is comfortably wrapped up in the stroller. You still feel a bit wobbly and weak the first time you go outside together. No rush. You got through the first week, it's only going to get easier now. You and your partner are the experts when it comes to your baby!