American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [305]
Bottle-feeding
Bottle-feeding can give other people, particularly fathers, a chance to feed and bond with a baby. A baby who fusses soon after sucking on a bottle may be having trouble with the nipple or formula. Make sure that the hole in the nipple is not clogged or too small and that the formula is not too hot.
Postpartum Depression
Many women feel blue during the first few days after childbirth. This is normal. New mothers usually are very tired. First-time mothers may be afraid, anxious, or overwhelmed by their new responsibilities and challenges. Some women may have a sense of letdown after anticipating the birth for so many months. These blues usually go away in a few days or weeks.
However, some women continue to feel depressed to such an extent that they cannot function. This condition, called postpartum depression, is serious. Postpartum depression may result from a combination of factors such as a genetic susceptibility, the sudden change in hormone levels, and chronic lack of sleep.
Tips for Preventing New-Mother Blues
One of the most important (and difficult) things you can do after your baby is born is to avoid becoming overtired. You need all the sleep you can get because lack of sleep can influence your hormone levels, which can interfere with your ability to function. Keeping your baby in the same bedroom with you at night is usually not a good idea because you can be awakened not only when the baby is hungry but also when the baby moves even slightly in his or her sleep or makes noises.
Make a shift schedule with your partner, so that you are not the only one taking care of the baby every time he or she needs attention. Even if you are breastfeeding, your partner can get up at night and change a diaper or attend to the baby in other ways when necessary. In addition, don’t hesitate to accept offers from family or friends to help out by shopping for you or taking care of the baby while you get some rest during the day.
You may have postpartum depression if you have any of the following symptoms:
• Feelings of anxiety or hopelessness that last longer than 2 weeks
• Panic attacks
• Inability to sleep even when you’re tired
• Sleeping too much, even when the baby is awake
• Having little interest in your baby or other family members
• Thoughts of harming yourself or the baby
If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor right away. He or she may prescribe an antidepressant medication or refer you to a mental health professional who has experience treating women with postpartum depression. He or she may also recommend a support group of women and families who have experienced what you are going through. In rare, severe cases, a woman may need to be admitted to a hospital for treatment.
Sex After Childbirth
Your doctor will tell you when you can safely resume having sexual intercourse after delivery. Most doctors recommend waiting about 4 to 6 weeks, until after the postnatal checkup. Because you can become pregnant again after childbirth, talk to your doctor about birth control. Your periods will resume about 6 to 8 weeks after delivery; if you are breastfeeding, they will resume when you start giving your baby solid foods or supplemental bottles or when you start weaning your baby from breast milk.
You should not consider breastfeeding a reliable form of contraception. Your doctor will probably recommend using a barrier method of birth control (such as a diaphragm) instead of birth-control pills during the first 6 weeks after delivery because the hormones can interfere with your milk production. If you want to become pregnant again soon, talk to your doctor about any potential risks.
Your vagina may be extremely tender for the first 10 days or so after childbirth, or for a couple of weeks if you had an episiotomy (see page 533) or if the skin around your vagina was torn during labor. If intercourse is painful, see your doctor.
Your vagina may have lost some elasticity. To strengthen the