When baby arrives ...

After baby is born , he/ she will be checked by the paediatrician and then taken to the nursery with Dad. You will go back to your ward after you have settled in theatre, the nurses will come to make you comfortable. I know its not an easy thing to grasp but there really is not much privacy in child birth! From theatre, you are exposed waist down to many nurses and doctors, it is helpful to remember though that they do their job because they care for you and want to help you.

The nurses try to put baby onto you for breastfeeding if that is what you opt for, if not then it will be the bottle. I have another post on breastfeeding vs bottle feeding. In the first 2-3 days you have colostrum which is really good for your baby, it does come out in small amounts though and sometimes your baby is still hungry, then they will top up with formula . It is helpful to have an idea of what type of formula you want for your baby and also to pack formula and bottles in your baby bag for the hospital as you may need it. In some hospitals you will need to bring your own formula.

For my first delivery I wanted to breastfeed and so I did, I was lucky in the sense that my baby had a perfect latch and I had no nipple soreness or pain. He did cry alot though and I was so worried as to why, later on I realised I may not be getting enough milk and after top up feeds with formula he actually settled much better. The stools initially are thick, dark and sticky but it changes when baby has more milk.

Our gynaecologist was very pro skin- to- skin contact so once baby came back from theatre after I settled, he spent most of the day sleeping on me. At night he did skin to skin contact with his Dad. This helps alot with bonding for baby with both parents. He feels secure and comforted and you have a sense of pure joy and happiness as you watch this little one sleep on your chest.

Baby is taken away to the nursery after feeding and burping and kept there for a while for you to rest, at night baby is brought back to you. Usually, on the first night if you are well enough the urinary catheter will be removed and you will start walking to the toilet at first.

You may not feel alot of pain as you will still have pain meds that will help but it is important to support the wound if you have had a caesar and wake up from bed from a side lying position as opposed to a sit up position. Coughing, sneezing or laughing may also cause pain so it will help to support your wound when doing so either with a small pillow or your hands.

Try to ensure you maintain an upright posture and avoid slouching even while feeding.

While in hospital make sure you understand what you need to do for baby. The nurses in the maternity ward are so amazing and they really help you do alot. They will show you how to bathe your baby as well as help with feeding, support and teaching you positions of how to burp your baby. Swaddling is also very helpful, it is where you wrap up your baby in a blanket/ receiver so that he/she feels safe and comfortable. Please ask about anything you are not sure of , there are no silly questions!

Pay attention to how your baby looks , breathing and his/her skin colour must be normal and not yellow, if there is anything you are not comfortable with speak to your paediatrician immediately. My little one had to have blood tests done on day 3 after delivery as he had a yellow tinge in his eyes and on his skin. The results came back normal thank God and we were sent home. At discharge you are just so happy to be home with your little bundle of joy:)