Pregnancy is a beautiful chapter in a girl's life. I am trained to be a doctor but these are things I didn’t learn in books but have learnt over time with experience. I am pleasantly surprised at the things I am learning post-partum as a first time mom. Here are they, for you to have a calmer and peaceful postpartum time.

Be confident that you have made the right decision for your baby.

• With a wide number of delivery options available- unmedicated vaginal birth, painless vaginal delivery, C-section, water birth, home birth etc. Be confident with the choice you had made. Always consult your OBGYN and discuss with your spouse before you decide. And once decided, don’t compare with the choice of other people. Every experience is unique and has its own challenges. Commit it in the hands of God and cherish each moment. Be confident that you have made the right decision for your baby.

Sweating post-partum

• I was familiar with postpartum chills but was never prepared for postpartum night sweats. It started on the night of delivery, which I brushed off as humidity. But even after coming home I found myself getting up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, to a point where I considered consulting medical help. It was then that I learnt that our bodies are reacting to fluctuating hormone levels. There is a drop in both progesterone and estrogen postpartum. Also the hormone helping breastfeeding, Prolactin, keeps the levels of estrogen low, leading to make your hypothalamus believe you are too warm and thus signalling your brain to make you sweat. It is normal to sweat 4-6 weeks post-delivery and you will see the intensity gradually reduce.

Using synthetic diapers

• I wanted to fully cloth diaper my baby thinking that it would be the best for her skin and I did for the first two weeks. After 15 days I switched to synthetic ones during the night, it was one of the best decisions I had made. Using synthetic diapers initially gave me mom guilt which I had to overcome ,but it allowed her to have good sleep at night which in turn allowed us to sleep well too.

  I know people who had to use synthetic ones since birth and their babies turned out just fine. Keep in mind some tips:

  1. As soon as the baby poops, change the diaper, immediately! It will drastically reduce diaper rash.

  2. Never let a diaper sit for more than 6 hours even if it is dry.

  3. Always apply a layer of plain petroleum jelly before wearing a diaper. It creates a layer between the butt of the baby and the pee & poop preventing diaper rash.

  4. Use water based wipes, even better would be cotton balls/pads and water (If feasible)

  5. Keep a diaper rash cream handy at all times. Apply at the sight of slight redness, one time application usually does the job.

  6. Give the baby some diaper free time during the day.

Diet during breastfeeding

Eat good food during lactation. Read up on the kinds of food that increase milk production and find those that are locally available and add them to your diet. Personally I saw two foods drastically improve my milk supply instantly, they are –oats and tapioca root. Oats contains Phytoestrogen and beta-glucan which increases prolactin level.

Good hydration is key for lactation. On an average, try to consume 3.5 to 4 litre of water. It may be easier in the early stages of lactation as you will be thirsty but eventually when you start getting used to nursing you may tend to not keep up with the requirement. Take the effort to maintain good hydration.

Using a manual breast pump in the initial few weeks helped me to avoid engorgement and also increase my milk supply.

Supplements

Please ensure you consume the iron and calcium supplements given by your doctor. It is important to make up for the loss your body underwent. Also it will help restore your health for future pregnancies and for the health of your nursing child.

Speak out about your feelings

It is common to feel sad, tired, overwhelming in the first few weeks or even months. That doesn’t make you a bad parent. It is perfectly normal owing to the physical stress your body has undergone, sleep deprivation and fluctuating hormones. Talk it out and seek help. You are not alone.

Some essentials in your travel baby bag

• Petroleum jelly

• Diaper rash cream

• Normal saline drop (a drop or two helps clear blockage during change in climate)

• Baby Nail trimmer (their nails grow so fast. They end up hurting themselves and cry)

• Pacifier (in case you are flying, it helps prevent ear ache during landing and take-off )

• A cotton cap and sock (you never know when it gets windy and chill)

• A half sleeve and a full sleeve dress (you never know when your child gets cold or hot)

• A plastic bag to dispose of their dirty diapers

Hope these little things help you. Always enjoy and cherish each moment. Whenever you look at your kid, smile and thank God. Hope you have a wonderful time taking care of your child.