Lactation Consultant Ame Odom shares her advice on your first week home with your newborn

You either focused tirelessly on conceiving your first baby, or she was the greatest surprise of your life. Maybe you are somewhere in between. Whichever of these you relate to, we all ended up in labor and delivery, and then the time for you and baby to be discharged from the hospital and sent home. We remember thinking, “What, they are just going to let us leave here?”. In my humble experience (two girls, now ages 6 and 16 mo) the first week has still been the biggest adjustment. In this blog, in fluff-free fashion, I want to be honest and open about some real first week struggles, and about what to possibly expect your first week home. Anxiety is real this first week. Always know that we here want to help alleviate as much of that as possible, we are available 24/7. So here are the basics: not only in life, but in new-parent life.

Sleep – you will not get much this first week, but adrenaline will help with that. I recommend resting when baby sleeps. Newborns can sleep 16-20 hours a day. It made me pretty anxious to hear, ‘sleep when baby sleeps’ because I could not get to sleep, I would toss and turn worrying about her. It was more realistic to sleep when I could and just rest the rest of the time. Rely on help, whether it’s the whole family or just you and your spouse, if you’re able, let them help.

Food – hormones are all over the place, and we can blame them for the widely varying appetites you’ll likely experience this week. This first week a lot of new moms don’t have much of an appetite, which is totally fine! Listen to your body, if you are hungry, eat. If you are not, then don’t force anything. This goes against what we have all read and heard, right?! You’ll get to those additional calories soon enough. That appetite will for sure kick back in soon, but for this first week, its ok to let your body guide you. If you’re thirsty (which you likely are!) drink as much water as you need. I ate french toast 2 meals a day for that first week, thanks mom! Newborns eat 8-12 times a day, which ends up being about every 2-3 hours for anywhere between 30-45 minutes each feeding.

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Spring is in the air! Only a few more months of the school year remain for many students. It is an exciting time to anticipate summer and its laid-back routines. One thing to consider for your junior high, high school kids, and athletes, is a wellness exam and a pre-participation sports physical for next school year. Spring and Summer are great times to have both exams done so your child is ready for athletics in the Fall. Also, your child’s general wellness exam can be completed at the same time as your sports physical (if your child is due for their wellness visit). Remember, there are also some immunization updates that are needed for this age group as well.

So why the pre-participation sports physical and what should you know before you come for your appointment? These are required by most school’s athletic departments. The physical must be completed on or after May 1st for the upcoming school year. If your child will participate in athletics, there is a form that will likely be provided by your child’s athletic coach or the school’s athletic department. It is a two-page form consisting of health history questions and a physical exam. The health history gives your provider a good glimpse into the overall health of your child and athlete. It is important for this form to be completed prior to the exam in order for the provider to review the history and complete the physical exam portion of the evaluation.

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It seems these days everyone knows the typical symptoms of ADHD. Decreased focus & impulsive behavior, but ADHD can present in a variety of different ways, depending on the child.

Some children literally cannot sit still in class. They run on a motor that never turns off! They get in trouble at school every day and you receive multiple e-mails from their teacher every week. The teacher can’t keep their attention for more than 3 minutes and they’re talking or touching whomever is close enough to them, using consequences usually doesn’t help. Academically, they’re usually behind in at least one class, sometimes multiple classes.

Every night there’s a battle over homework and even if the homework gets done, your child loses it or forgets to turn it in. Sound familiar?

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So, you’ve been at home with your new little one for a few weeks now and are adjusting to your new normal. Amidst all the emotions, there is a tiny little thought in the back of your head: going back to work…

As a working, breast feeding mom myself, I can relate to and understand the struggle of emotions that you may be feeling. Step 1: don’t hide from this unknown. Let’s face it together!

Whether it be 8 hours a week or 50, there is a very real, conscious, and sometimes subconscious stress in going back to work. We have lovingly put together a fluff free packet for you to review as you get ready for this next step in your training towards your new title of Wonder Woman.

If you are planning to return to work, either attend one of our Cookies and Milk groups held on the first Friday of every month to grab a packet, or download from here and read through it. We would love to see you (and sweet baby) and address all your questions or concerns. Remember this is the safe, no judgement zone where no concern is too small and no question too silly. Together we want to work with you to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Download our Back to Work Checklist