What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff Read Free Book Online

time with an older child. Want to squeeze in some extra time with the newly big sib (or sibs)? A baby nurse can be hired to work just a few hours a day so you can lavish baby-free attention on an older little one.
    â€¢ To give yourself a chance to recuperate after a cesarean or difficult vaginal birth. If you’re scheduled for a C-section, it may be smart to schedule that extra postpartum help, too, if you can. But even if you’re not sure how easy—or difficult—your baby’s birth (and your recovery from it) will be, it’s not a bad idea to do some scouting around in advance for nurses, just in case. That way, you’ll be able to call up that much-needed reserve help before you’ve even arrived back home from the hospital.
    A baby nurse may not be the best postpartum medicine if:
    â€¢ You’re breastfeeding. Since a nurse can’t nurse your baby, she may not prove to be all that helpful initially. In that case, household help—someone to cook, clean, and do laundry—is probably a better investment, unless you can find a nurse who’s willing to pitch in around the house, too.
    â€¢ You’d prefer to go nuclear (family). Unless you have a separate space for a nurse to stay in, live-in means live with—and that may feel intrusive. If sharing your kitchen, your bathroom, your sofa with a stranger (even a really sweet and accommodating one) sounds more like a crowd than a convenience, you might be better off with part-time help.
    â€¢ You’d rather do it yourselves. If you and your partner want to be the ones giving the first bath, catching sight of the first smile (even if they say it’s only gas), and soothing baby through the first bout of crying (even if it’s at 2 a.m.), there may not be much left for a baby nurse to do—especially if dad’s around full-time while he’s enjoying paternity leave. Consider springing for household help (or food delivery or laundry service) instead—or saving your money for that high-end stroller you’ve been eyeing.
Postpartum Doula
    Thought doulas were just for delivery? Though birth doulas specialize in caring for expectant moms and their families during late pregnancy and childbirth, a postpartum doula can offer the support that keeps on giving, all the way through those challenging early weeks with a new baby and beyond. Unlike a baby nurse, whose focus is on newborn care, a postpartum doula cares for the entire newly delivered family, pitching in to help with just about anything you’ll need help with—from household chores and cooking to setting up the nursery and caring for older children. The right postpartum doula will be a reassuring resource (on baby care, postpartum care, and breastfeeding), a shoulder to lean on (and even cry on), and your biggest booster—picking up the slack, but also building up your confidence as parents. Think of a doula as a professional nurturer—someone to mother the new mom (or dad) in you.
    Another perk of postpartum doulas is flexibility—some will work a few hours a day or night, others will pull the overnight shift, still others will do a full 9 to 5. You can hire a postpartum doula for just a few days or as long as a few months. Of course, since most are paid by the hour instead of the week, costs can rack up fast. For more information on doulas or to locate one in your area, contact Doulas of North America at dona.org or the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association at cappa.net .
Grandparents
    They’re experienced (they raised you, didn’t they?), they’re enthusiastic, they’ll happily work for cuddles—and though some may come with generational baggage (and perhaps old-school baby care strategies), grandparents have at least 101 uses. They can rock a crying baby, cook a real dinner, do the grocery shopping, wash and fold laundry, and best of all, let you get some of the rest you need—all at no cost.