Don’t Forget To Do These 6 Things In The First Month After Your Baby is Born!
This is a collaborative post. Thank you for supporting the posts which make this blog possible.
There is a lot of waiting and expectation during that long nine months of pregnancy. Although once Baby arrives, things to kick up a gear, and busy becomes the new normal. Once you combine this with a lack of sleep and your own recovery, it can be very easy to miss some of the most important tasks to complete in that very first month. There is no need to panic, though, because you can find a list of the most important ones below.
Picture found at Pixabay – Licence CC0
Take pictures – lots of them.
You will have probably grabbed some adorable snaps in the hospital when Baby first arrives. However, once you get home, it can be very easy to be overwhelmed that you forget to take some proper newborn pictures for the family album. With that in mind, taking some newborn photos is high on your first-month priority list.
Picture sourced at Pixabay – Licence CC0
Of course, you can choose whether to go to a professional photographer and get a shoot done, or whether you take the pictures yourself. If you opt for the latter choice, there is a great deal of information and advice online that can help you get the best shots. You can even buy some cute paper props to make the pictures that little bit more whimsical.
Collect up hospital items
Many parents like to keep items from the birth of the baby, including the medical bracelet given to them and the outfit they bring them home from the hospital in. It can be a lot of fun to look over these once your child is grown and remember how small they used to be!
Of course, there are many things that you can do with such items, from adding them to a baby book or keeping them in a memory box. Unfortunately, likely, you won’t have the time for much scrapbooking in the first month of Baby’s life. With that in mind, it can be smart to buy a nice box and keep all the items from their first few days there. Then when you do come back to them, everything will be neatly stored in one place.
Eat well
Probably the last thing that you will fancy doing in the first month of your Baby’s life is lots of food preparation and cooking. However, you must get proper nutrition in the early stages after birth. This is because your body needs the right building blocks to repair itself. Also, you will need additional calories to help you make enough milk to feed the baby.
The good news is that while nutrition in the first month is important, you don’t necessarily have to do all the cooking yourself. Instead, you could assign that task to your partner. Alternatively, you could invest in a meal box each week, which provides ingredients and quick recipes. You may even wish to ask friends and family to donate a dish or two that can be frozen. Then you will have a good supply of nutritious meals with minimal effort.
Record your birth story
For mummy bloggers, recording their birth story is the par-for-the course. However, not everyone remembers to do this when the experience is still fresh in their minds. Something that means you may not remember all the essential details.
That is why it’s smart to write down your birth story within the first month of your baby being born. To do this, you may wish to invest in a cute journal, start a private (or public) blog, or even record the note on your phone. The how doesn’t matter so much as just getting the information down while it is still fresh.
Image sourced at Pixabay – Licence CC0
In fact, there are several advantages to recording your birth story in this way. The first is that if anything went wrong, you could follow up with your medical provider appropriately. Additionally, there are often one or two people who stand out as helpful and supportive during the birth process. Whether that is the midwife, consultant, doula, or birthing partner. Of course, by recording this, it makes sure we remember their role and offer our thanks.
Sort your contraception
You may think that contraception, and what it implies, will be the furthest things from your mind in the first month after your Baby’s birth. Of course, the timescale for intimacy is not set. It will depend on a range of factors from the mother’s physical health, to both parents’ well being.
It is important to remember that contraception choices for this stage in your life need to be sorted within three weeks of the birth. Yes, that is 21 days. This is because women are actually very fertile from 21 days after giving birth, whether they are breastfeeding, and their periods have returned or not.
Of course, what with everything else going on sorting out contraception can seem very low down the list of priorities. That is why it’s best to do some research on what you will use beforehand. After all, with the sleepless nights, you may not be in the best place to understand the difference between copper and hormonal iud options. Or whether the mini pill or prophylactics are the best choice. Instead, plan ahead to take action on contraception in the first three weeks after the baby is born. Otherwise, you may end up going through the whole process again, sooner than you would have liked!
Schedule your baby’s first doctor/health visitor appointment.
Within the first month after your Baby’s birth, it is also essential to make sure they see the doctor/health visitor. This is so they can check the baby over, and make sure they are gaining the weight that they should.
These visits are good for mums too, as they can help with breastfeeding issues, and other questions. Additionally, they can be an excellent option for getting help with postpartum anxiety and depression. Don’t be afraid to voice your concerns and reach out for help if you are struggling in the first month. After all, having a baby is wonderful, but it can also be tough at times, and the sooner you get the help or advice you need, the better for you and your little one.
Leave a Reply