Baby is home with you, and baby might not be falling into a predictable schedule just quite yet. Hence your days are almost definitely falling into a predictable pattern such as feed, change and repeat. But somewhere in between those endless feeding sessions and those sleepless nights, you\u2019re getting a glimpse of the joys of parenting to come in the form of the cuddly sweetness of your little bundle. Here\u2019s what\u2019s in store for your new baby during week 2:<\/p>\n
Below are some common culprits if you experience poor milk supply:<\/p>\n
Supplement<\/strong><\/p>\n Frequency feedings<\/strong><\/p>\n Pacifiers<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s perfectly natural for newborns to give thumb sucking a big thumbs-up (for now). Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n While most of the initial intense discomfort usually passes within seven-to-10-days postpartum, many women feel the lingering effects of childbirth for weeks after delivery (finding it uncomfortable to sit after a vaginal birth or bend over after a cesarean, for instance).<\/p>\n If you’ve had a vaginal birth, the entire perineal area and rectum will be swollen for a few weeks. You can also expect the site of any stitches (either from a perineal tear, episiotomy or C-section) to be sore and sensitive for a few weeks. Itchiness at the site is also common.<\/p>\n Having bowel movements may be uncomfortable for a number of weeks, so be sure to drink lots of fluids and step up the fiber in your diet so you won’t have to strain. You might also want to ask your practitioner about using a stool softener.<\/p>\n Your practitioner has probably put the brakes on intercourse until six weeks postpartum. But while you’re waiting for the green light to get busy (sex-wise, that is), try to put that time (and your pelvic muscles) to good use. Resume Kegel exercises to stimulate circulation, speed healing and restore good muscle tone (so that when you do resume sex, you’ll enjoy it more \u2014 though probably not right away).<\/p>\n Most of all, relax and give yourself time to heal. Full recovery won’t occur overnight, but it will happen eventually.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n There are actually two on your baby’s head, and they are technically called fontanels. They serve two important purposes:\u00a0First, they helped your infant\u2019s skull to shift and mold so it could fit through the birth canal (thank goodness); and second, they allow room for your baby\u2019s brain to grow (very!) rapidly during her first year.<\/p>\n The larger and more-prominent soft spot (the anterior fontanel) is on top of your newborn\u2019s head; it\u2019s shaped like a diamond and can be up to 2 inches across. It\u2019ll start to close when your baby is about 6 months old and be completely closed by the time she reaches 18 months.<\/p>\n The second, or posterior, fontanel is much smaller and harder to find. It\u2019s on the back of the head, triangular in shape, and only about a half-inch in diameter.<\/p>\n While protecting your baby\u2019s head (no bouncing or shaking) is wise, the good news is that it\u2019s much less fragile than it seems. Those soft spots are covered by strong membranes that do an excellent job of safeguarding the brain. Two (rare) signs of trouble: A depressed fontanel could be a sign of dehydration, and a constantly bulging one could indicate pressure on the brain. In either case, contact your baby\u2019s doctor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If you’re formula-feeding or pumping, keep in mind that when introducing the bottle, some babies take to it like a fish to water, while others need a little more practice (and coaxing) to get sucking down to a science.<\/p>\n These how-to-bottle-feed tips will help you get started:<\/p>\n 1) Have several bottles at the ready in your fridge so your hungry honey doesn\u2019t get her crank on waiting for supper. (Bottles\u2019 contents should get the boot after spending more than 24 hours in the fridge or more than an hour outside it.)<\/p>\n 2) Sterilize nipples and bottles the first time out. New bottle-feeding gear should be boiled for five minutes in a pot of water (or use a store-bought sterilizer). After that, just wash bottles and nipples in hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher (no need to sterilize again).<\/p>\n 3) Enjoy the bonding experience. Don\u2019t let anyone tell you otherwise \u2014 you can absolutely bond while bottle-feeding, with plenty of cooing and skin-to-skin contact.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Chances are you’re always exhausted these days, so noshing on nuts will give you a quick burst of energy. The protein, fiber and healthy fats packed into these little shells make them fantastic fatigue-fighters.<\/p>\n They’re a bit on the high-calorie side, though, so stick to a third of a cup or an ounce-and-a-half per serving. And reach for walnuts, almonds, cashews or pistachios because they have a healthier fat profile than, say, macadamias or pecans.<\/p>\n Eat them out of hand…or spread two tablespoons of peanut, cashew or almond butter on a piece of whole wheat toast for an extra energy boost.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Blocked up? Try these tips for postpartum constipation:<\/p>\n 1) Eat high-fiber grains.<\/strong>\u00a0Opt for whole grain cereals, breads, brown rice, anything made with bran, oat bran or flaxseed.<\/p>\n 2) Make a date with raisins, figs, dried apricots and that senior favorite, prunes.<\/strong>\u00a0Toss your dried fruit with nuts for a good boost of omega-3s \u2014 and some extra constipation-fighting muscle.<\/p>\n 3) Nibble on crunchy fresh fruits and vegetables,<\/strong>\u00a0and rough things up even more by leaving the skins on.<\/p>\n 4) Cook up a pot of legumes<\/strong>, such as lentils or black beans, and add them to soups, salsas or salads.<\/p>\n 5) Avoid refined foods<\/strong>\u00a0such as white rice and white bread, and go for the (whole) grain instead.<\/p>\n 6) Nothing unclogs like fluids, so be sure to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.<\/strong>\u00a0Some women find a cup of hot water flavored with lemon especially moving (try it first thing in the morning). Vegetable and fruit juices can help, too \u2014 especially prune juice.<\/p>\n 7) If none of the above is working (or working well enough or fast enough), consider some serious fiber supplementation.<\/strong>\u00a0Adding some straight-up wheat bran and\/or psyllium can give your diet the bulk it needs. (Just don’t overdo it, and don’t take your calcium foods with them since they can block absorption of that vital bone-building mineral.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Baby might be tiny, but your little bundle of joy sure can eat and sleep a lot. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1096,"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895\/revisions\/1096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theyellowcastle.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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