Having a baby is exciting and joyous. There's so much to do and learn. Your whole family is excited. But having a new baby brings lots of new feelings and changes in your life.
You may be worried about whether you are a good parent. You may wonder whether you can meet your baby's needs. Keeping your baby fed, bathed and diapered is a big job. He also wants to bond with you emotionally.
Your baby likes to be held. He likes to be talked to. He likes to talk back to you and likes to have you answer his smiles, coos, giggles and other baby sounds. He likes to be rocked and comforted.
How do you take care of yourself when your baby needs so much comforting and care? You need to know that it is common to feel run down. If you feel run down, ask others for help.
When you and your partner need to rest, ask other family members to help. Your baby needs to bond with other members of the family. He needs to be close to his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Be sure your friends and relatives know how to take care of and be with your baby.
Don't be surprised if your partner feels kind of sad the first few weeks after having your baby. It is common for a new mom to feel this way. It doesn't mean she is a bad parent. She needs time to get her body back to normal. And you both need to adjust to the changes your baby brings to your life.
Sometimes this feeling of sadness can be strong. If this happens, she may be having postpartum depression. "Postpartum" means "after birth." Some new mothers have this kind of depression. Your doctor will know ways to help her.
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