No matter how much time you spent babysitting as a teenager or how many baby care books you've devoured since the pregnancy test came back positive, nothing can ever fully prepare you for the experience of becoming a mother. Many new mothers describe the early weeks after the birth as the best of times and the worst of times all wrapped up into one exhilarating and yet exhausting package: a time to celebrate your newfound status as a mother while simultaneously mourning the loss of your pre-baby freedom. Add to this the fact that your body is busy morphing back to its pre-pregnant state and the fact you haven't had a good night's sleep since the second trimester (if then!) and you can see why the postpartum period tends to be a bit of a rocky ride.
Here are some tips on making the most of this wacky but wonderful time in your life.
Schedule a babymoon.
According to childbirth educator Sheila Kitzinger, there's a case to be made for taking a "babymoon" - time alone as a family during the early hours and days after the birth. Not only do you need a chance to get used to the fact that you are actually someone's mother: you also need time to recover from the birth. (Hey, they don't call it "labor" for nothing!)
Limit the number of visitors during the early weeks of your baby's life.
Once you've had the chance to babymoon for a day or two, you may be eager to start showing off the new arrival. To prevent yourself from becoming totally exhausted, you'll probably want to limit the frequency and duration of visits. If, like many new parents, you find yourself playing hostess to a steady stream of visitors who drop by daily or (horrors!) overstay their welcome, you might fall back on some tried-and-true techniques like staying in your nightie and housecoat all day long or entertaining visitors in your bedroom rather than the living room. That way, you'll be sending visitors a message loud and clear: this new mom needs her rest!
Accept any and all offers of help.
Keep a running list of jobs that need to be done. That way, if someone calls to ask what they can do to help, you'll be able to assign them a particular task: e.g., picking up some fresh fruit and vegetables at the grocery store, mailing some letters for you, or folding a load of laundry. After all, if there's one time in your life when you're entitled to call in your favours, this is it. You've got the Mother of All Excuses!
