Mothers - What To Expect

Your first baby can be a daunting thought – not all the preparation in the
world can probably ease the anxiety that can be felt but if it is any help even
doctors and paediatricians get overwhelmed when they bring their firstborn
home from the hospital.

Before we go onto the topic of caring for your baby we will talk a little
bit about what the mother can come to expect the day after labour. First, the
mother will probably expect an all-over pain derived from the stresses of
labour. The arms and legs are likely to be sore. One point to note is that
although aching legs are normal it would be prudent to go to your doctor if you
get symptoms of tenderness, warmth or pain in the calves – this can include
swollen or red veins. This is important as these symptoms could indicate
thrombophlehitis – a condition when veins become inflamed due to blood clots.
Pregnant women are more at risk to this condition because the vein walls tend
to relax a little during the pregnancy. You can greatly reduce the chances of
thrombophlehitis by walking soon after your delivery.

Other symptoms of pregnancy include stretch marks (which usually fade
a few months after the birth, darkened areas of skin (the linea nigra and aerola
are common), and a line running from the belly button to the pubic bone. You may also notice some hair loss about 3 months after birth – this is due to the
change in the level of hormones and can be expected to stop within a couple of
months after starting. Now that we are aware of a few of the common issues
that mothers face immediately after childbirth, lets go on to caring for your
new baby.

Related: Check out baby gift ideas