Newborn Care: The first ten days

Ten days to a wonderful start

Day One
The first 24 hours of life with a baby is a momentous and magical time. All you want to do is gaze at and touch this little being, absorb every detail, watch in fascination as she smoothes out and loses her mottled complexion. Baby will open her eyes and gaze right back at you if the lights are not too bright. Take each moment as it comes, rest with baby tucked up close and congratulate yourself on a task well done.

Day Two
Your baby will still be quiet today and you will feel tired but deep sleep might continue to elude you. If you had your baby in a maternity clinic and are feeling well, you might even go home today. Baby focuses at about 25 to 30cm, the perfect distance between being cradled at your breast and your face. Baby will still lie tightly curled and feel one with her environment, not sure where she ends and her mom or the world begins.

Day Three
This is often the day reality hits home, tiredness strikes with a vengeance, your milk comes in and your baby wakes up and finds a voice. The 'third-day blues' is well known and will usually pass as soon as you've had a good sleep, your hormones have stabilised and you have given vent to your emotions.

Days Four, Five and Six
Keep pacing yourself through this time and think about how much you have already learnt about your baby. It's early days yet and you might wonder how you'll ever cope, but you will. Be gentle with yourself and your little one and do only what is essential.

Days Seven, Eight and Nine
Baby is a whole week old! She might well be making her presence felt in the home from now on. Babies are extremely self-absorbed and self-centred because that is all they know. It seems that they expect their parents to take the lead and guide them in the dos and don'ts of family life – quite a tall order when you too feel you need a guiding hand! It is time now to begin observing your baby for recurring patterns of behaviour and expression, as therein are the clues for handling each unique little individual.

Day Ten
This is a magical milestone on the parenting calendar and even though you may be tired and your baby still quite demanding, you somehow feel that you're not quite such a novice anymore. Often women will want to venture out into the world again, show off their babies and reveal that walking and sitting is easier, as the perineum is likely to be well-healed if you have heeded all the tips.

By Sister Lilian


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