When the excitement of the birth has died down, you may both feel an anti-climax. In you this is as a result of a huge
change in hormone levels, many women feel teary and down for several days. You may end up feeling drained, completely exhausted.
Then you've got to deal with all the friends and relatives who want to know what's happened and can't wait to see your
new bundle of joy. Despite their well-meaning calls and visits, this is a time for you, your partner and your baby to get
used to each other. Try to be polite but firm with visitors, it would be better to get the visits over as quickly as possible
so you can have quiet time to bond with your baby and catch up on the lost sleep. You can use their help though to catch up
with all the things that you have let slip, so don't look a gift horse in the mouth, but equally it can be very tiring making
small talk. One of our mums had an afternoon tea and invited all her friends that way it was over in one go, it was hard to
muster the energy on the day but her and her husband had nearly a week of peace after it.
First night nerves - Many women have told us of this overwhelming fear that they experience the first time they are left
completely alone with their baby, many say they think that the enormity of the responsibility just hits you and you are terrified
that you will do something wrong. Mums have been known to beg their own mum to stay with them so that they don't have to be
alone. It is normal and if mums were truthful they all will have experienced it to some extent. It does get better it is just
one of those things that you have to go through to come out the other end, so just be brave and go for it. Remember there
is loads of info here that might help so you are not alone.
Learning to cope with the demands of a newborn and adjusting to being new parents can seem a bit daunting. It is common
to experience a short period of baby blues, but if this period continues it can develop into a more serious condition know
as Post Natal Depression (PND). It affects around one in ten new mothers; the symptoms are similar to other forms of depression.
It can also affect your partner, you need to talk about your feelings together as often as you can, you will both benefit
and you'll both be aware of any negative emotions that could be a sign of needing help. If you would like more info on PND
and its symptoms
