After Pregnancy

Ask For Help With the New Baby

You just had your baby, you are back at home and you believe everything that you can conquer the world. However, you may find that you need help from time to time because you will find that you are going to be tired.

You are still going to be tired by the time you get home from the hospital, most of the time you will only be there for about two days unless you had a c-section, then you may have a longer stay. However, you will need time to recuperate.

Most new mothers do not feel they should ask for any help with their new baby. They may feel that it is a sign that they will not be a good mother. However, this is not the case. Good mothers understand they need a break every once in awhile or they become too tired to care for their baby properly.

If you have been up all night with the baby, your partner will understand if you do not feel like jumping up and cooking him a large breakfast before he heads off to work. He will also be willing to help around the house if you just ask.

If he does not have to work tomorrow, ask him if he would please get up with the baby tonight so you can get some sleep.

During the day, ask a friend or family member to come over. Most of the time they will absolutely love helping out with the new baby or even helping you clean, go shopping, etc…, especially if you have had a c-section. In this case, you should not even lift for a few weeks, so you will need more help.

Many new mothers are just afraid to ask for help, for several different reasons, this is my baby – I need to take care of him or her, I need to keep my own house clean - , my husband works all day, I can't ask him for help, and the list goes on and on.

However, the most important thing to remember is that if you are exhausted you will be no good for anyone including the new baby. You will become irritable, confused and may even begin to lose more weight from lack of nutrition if all you do is care for the baby. You also have to take care of yourself and if that means asking for help once in awhile then what is the harm.