Life After a New Baby

The birth of a baby can be a life changing experience for the parents and other family members. A new or larger family is born after pregnancy, labor and birth. Sometimes the physical or mental health of a new mother or baby is compromised, and the parents need more help at home then they expected.

 

Many new parents are unaware of what constitutes normal growth and development, and normal postpartum recovery for the mother.

 

For example:

• Recovery from childbirth

• Responsibility of a dependent newborn

• Sleeplessness

• Emotional adjustment

• Mastery of infant feeding and care

• Understanding of and adjustment to the unique personality of their baby

• Organizing the household and nursery

 

In society today, many new parents find themselves unprepared for this transition and isolated from caring, knowledgeable helpers and advisors. In times past, new parents could easily depend on their own parents, family members and friends to assist them. While these resources are still available today, they become infrequent, due to great distances between new parents and loved ones and other demands on loved ones that take priority of the new family’s needs. Additionally, even if you are to secure some help, sometimes that help may need it for a longer time than what you are able to secure.