Journal Entry

The first 24 hours with your newborn

After nine months of wondering what it is going to be like to be a new mother, the day has finally arrived and you are now a parent. Congratulations! This is truly the first day of the rest of your life. Your first task as a parent is to get through the first 24 hours of your post-partum stage of pregnancy. During this first day of motherhood you and your baby will both be acclimating to your new life together.

Preparing for the first 24 hours of your infant’s life

As you get closer to your delivery date it is important to prepare for your trip to the hospital. Most hospitals are going to keep you admitted for at least the first 24 hours after you deliver to ensure that your post-partum bleeding is under control and to monitor you for after-birth complications. During this time frame you are going to bleed heavily, you are going to be exhausted and you will be recovering from the trauma of birth. To get you through this day of recovery you will need maternity pads, a wash cloth, comfortable pajamas, comfort items and quiet.

The first hour after delivering

The first hour after you deliver your infant is called the “golden hour.” This is a critical bonding time that many researchers believe is key to a mother-infant relationship. If your baby is healthy then your best option is to remove your medical gown and allow the baby to rest naked on your bare chest. This skin-to-skin contact is important for your emotional bonding with your infant, and it can help to stimulate your baby’s brain development.

After the first hour

Generally, a newborn infant is only alert and active for about an hour after being born. Then the infant slips into a deep sleep that lasts for several hours. Doctors believe that this long post-partum nap is designed to help both the baby and the mother recover from the stress of delivery. While your baby is asleep you need to also get some rest and allow your body to recover from delivery. This will most likely be the last long stretch of sleep that you will be able to get for several months, so take advantage of it.

Pain management

After you deliver your baby you may be surprised that you don’t feel any pain. This is really a trick of the mind. You have a significant amount of adrenaline and pain reducing brain chemicals flooding your system at this point. However, these natural chemicals will wear off and when they do you will feel the damage your body sustained during the delivery of your infant. It is important that you manage your pain effectively with medications and ice packs. If you developed hemorrhoids, then you will also want to use ointments and pads designed to reduce inflammation and relieve the itch and pain that come along with hemorrhoids.

Nursing for the first time

It is important to breast feed your infant as soon as possible after delivery. This is because your breasts produce a special concoction called colostrum during the first 24 hours after you deliver. This thick yellow liquid is chalked full of the nutrients and antibodies that your infant needs to recover from the birth process and to build his or her immune system. Bare skin to bare skin is the best way to attempt breast feeding for the first time. If you are a first time mother, ask a nurse to help you position the baby and get things going.

Learn basic baby care

One thing that I truly appreciated when I became a first-time mother was the baby care class that my hospital provided to new parents. This class was actually required before you could leave the hospital with your infant. It covered bathing, diaper changing and general hygiene for infants. This class made me feel more confident that I would be able to care properly for my new baby, and it helped to alleviate some of my new parent anxiety.

The first 24 hours of life

The first 24 hours of life is rough for both you and your baby. You both are trying to get to know each other and you are both learning what to do. Try to keep in mind that you and your infant are a team and that if you just relax and try to stay calm, nature will take the reigns and help you to figure out how to be a good parent.

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