Archive for the ‘Baby’ Category »
The Bonding
Ahh, yes, that all-important bond. You will probably have mixed feelings when your baby is born. You may think you know this baby, but it’s actually going to take some time before your bond with him is cemented. Bonding is a process, not an event. Don’t feel strange if it’s not love at first when you first hold your baby. When you look back, you’ll be convinced that it was. You will gradually fall in love with him. We’re programmed to love whatever comes out. As your baby starts getting bigger and responding to your face and your voice, your emotions will naturally deepen. All that diapering and feeding and holding and rocking and breastfeeding will strengthen your maternal instincts. (This applies to deepening paternal instincts too—minus the breastfeeding.)
Full term newborns have an inborn reflex to suck. They will do this after birth, but not because they are hungry. Most full-term babies have packed on a layer of fat and water in preparation for birth. Their birth weight can be deceptive, particularly if you had a lot of fluids during labor. Some of that fluid will come off, so your baby will lose some weight—up to 10 percent of his newborn weight. You don’t need to worry. In fact, after an earthquake in Mexico that demolished a maternity hospital, one newborn was found alive after eight days under the rubble. Newborns typically lose between 5 and 10 percent of their birth weight during the days after birth, then begin to gain again. By the end of two weeks, most of them are back to their birth weight or close to it.
Some newborns will latch on immediately; some might just want to play with your nipple (not hockey or catch, just a little get-to-know-you session). Either is okay because at least they’re getting familiar with their new home.
If you feel cramping or pain in your uterus the first few times you breastfeed, don’t worry, you’re not going into labor again. Breastfeeding stimulates uterine contractions, which is a good thing. After you give birth, your uterus is big enough to carry a bag of groceries in. You want it to shrink back to its old size (or close at least), and breastfeeding speeds up tlit4 process.
Where Are You Going with That Baby?
Make sure you ask why your baby is being taken away. Some “urgent” medical needs are sometimes nothing more than hospital procedure. Nurses can delay weighing the baby, though they will probably insist on giving an Apgar test at one minute and again at five minutes. The Apgar test is your child’s first S.A.T., so make sure he brushes up for it. No, actually it is a test developed by Dr. Virginia Apgar to evaluate your newborn’s general condition. Most babies pass.