Robin Elise Weiss - 150 Tips and Tricks for New Moms: From those Frantic First Days to Babys First Birthday - Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Your New Addition

From Those Frantic First Days to Babys First Birthday
Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Your New Addition

Robin Elise Weiss, Certified Childbirth Educator

Copyright 2009 by F+W Media, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any
form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are
made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by
Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

Contains material adapted and abridged from The EverythingMothers First
Year Book, by Robin Elise Weiss, 2005 by F+W Media, Inc.,
ISBN 10: 1-59337-425-9; ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-425-9.

ISBN 10: 1-60550-348-7
ISBN 13: 978-1-60550-348-6
eISBN: 978-1-44052-015-0
Printed in Canada.

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Contents

Part One
Pre-Baby Preparation

Part Two
The Birth and Your First Weeks as a Mom

Part Three
Baby Care Basics

Part Four
Nutrition for the Family

Part Five
Physical and Mental Development

Part Six
Post-Baby Body and Fitness

Part Seven
Sex after Baby

Part Eight
Working and Child Care

Part Nine
Stay-at-Home Parenthood

Part Ten
Ready for More?

Introduction
Becoming a Mom

The fact that youve picked up this book means that you are getting ready for one of the most exciting, challenging, and life-changing experiences a person can have: Youre going to be a mom! You may be feeling anxious, worried, elated, or a combination of all three. Once your baby is born several more emotions (many of them hormone related) will work their way into the mix as well. One things for sure: Pregnancy and birth are a wild ride!

The good news is that feelings of anxiety and worry are completely normal as you prepare for parenthood. Rest assured that all the basic, practical information you need for when your baby comes is in this book. Youll find tips for choosing diapers and bottles, guidelines for nutrition and feeding, tricks for handling sleep issues, and myriad other helpful hints. One thing that you cant get from this or any book, however, is a recipe for your parenting style and goals. This is very personal to you and your partner as parents, and its something you should seriously consider before your baby arrives.

As soon as your belly starts to blossom, words of advice will probably start flowing in from all directions. During pregnancy, excess advice may be easy to shrug off, as your baby has not yet arrived. But once the baby is born, you may be a little more likely to worry. Just remember to listen only to advice that seems to be practical. Think about how it might apply to your life. Does it make sense? How would you feel if you applied it? Does it go against any of your major beliefs about parenting? If an idea seems to meet all your requirements, consider trying it out. Remember, you can always scrap the idea if it doesnt work for you.

Despite what anyone tells you, your parenting style must be developed over timeby you. However, you can still pick up tricks from existing parenting styles, including those that seem like fads. You can also take advice from friends and family but with a grain of salt; a few of their methods might work for you, but others might not. Simply keep an open mind and consider your babys unique characteristics when making these decisions.

Above all, remember that becoming a parent is a journey. You wont have all the answers the first week, the first month, or even the first year. As your family grows and evolves youll continuously learn more about yourself, your partner, and your child. As long as you work together as a team and keep your childs best interests at heart, you cant go wrong. Congratulations, good luck, and enjoy this magical experience!

Part 1

Pre-Baby Preparation

Many mothers-to-be begin preparing for their babies the moment they find out theyre pregnant. However, most women tend to focus on things like paint colors and baby clothing instead of more pressing issues. Of course, these are the fun aspects of having a baby, and you should take time to enjoy them. But much of what happens during the birth itself will impact your postpartum period. Early establishment of bigger decisions, like who will deliver your baby and where you will give birth, can help ensure a safe, satisfying delivery and postpartum experience.

Decide Who Will Be at the Birth

In addition to your partner, there will be at least a few other people present for the birth of your baby. One of the first decisions you will make will be with whom you will give birth. Will you choose a midwife or a doctor? What about a doula?

Practitioners

Your first big choice is whether to deliver your baby under the care of a midwife or a doctor. Midwives are trained to assist with normal pregnancy, birth, and other well-woman care (birth control, annual exams, etc.). Many women with low-risk pregnancies enjoy the care of midwives while giving birth. Midwives may work in a hospital, birth center, or home-birth setting. Midwife training varies widely. Some midwives are nurses with masters degrees, some are certified by organizations like the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), others have been trained at hospitals or birth centers, and many have a combination of training.

If you choose not to give birth with a midwife, you might prefer the help of a doctor. There are several different kinds of doctors available to you, including the family practitioner (FP) for low-risk women, the obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) for nearly every type of pregnancy, and the maternal fetal medicine (MFM) specialist for high-risk women. All of these doctors have attended medical school; what differs is the postgraduate residency course they completed. If youd like to use your family practitioner, you must first be sure he delivers babies, as not every family practitioner incorporates birth into his practice.