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The Hospitable Hospital Stay
Make your time in the maternity ward peaceful, productive and happy by Lynne Tapper
 Sometime after your baby is born, you will be
transferred to a magical land called the maternity ward, where complete
strangers will help take care of your baby.
They give the first bath, change diapers, watch your little bundle of
joy while you sleep, bring you food and give you a foot massage (I wish). The maternity ward can be a peaceful oasis
before you head off to your home and the excitement of bringing home a new
baby. While you are there, consider two
steps to make your time in the Maternity Ward as calm as possible and help you
get off on the right foot with your baby.
Manage
the hospital horde
Most parents are understandably excited right after
their baby arrives. They’ll call their
family, friends, butcher, baker, maybe even their candlestick maker (assuming
they know one). They might even invite
these folks to the hospital. Many times,
these well-wishers come right away. And
they stay. And stay. And then more visitors arrive. Before you know it, the rush of excitement
you felt has transformed into a steady stream of fatigue. The arrival of a baby is a wonderful moment,
but sharing it right away might be more tiring that you think.
Remember, you just gave birth, an event that is no
small feat, and your body needs to recover.
After the initial rush of excitement, many new mothers are exhausted and
would prefer to just sleep. Entertaining
guests only adds to the exhaustion. If
you can, keep your visitors to the bare minimum. Consider establishing a short lists of guests
before you go to the hospital. Ask
everyone other than immediate family and any other children you might have to
wait until you get settled at home. The
baby isn’t going anywhere. You’ll feel
better and look better.
The
Baby Nurse Army
Even if you will have assistance at home when you
return from the hospital, you will never have as many people available to help
both you and your baby as when you are in the hospital. The nurses are a great resource for advice on
almost anything baby-related. Take
advantage of all the helping hands while they are available. At night, some parents choose to have their
baby sleep in their room, while others opt to have them stay in the nursery. This is a personal choice. One advantage to putting your baby in the
nursery is that you have a better chance for undisturbed sleep. A newborn, though small and cute as a button,
can make quite a few noises in its bassinet.
The nurses will watch over your baby and come get you should any need
arise.
Remember,
a little organization and preparation can go a long way in helping any new
parent feel more in control, more successful and, in the end, a little more
sane.
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Lynne Tapper is the owner of Seize
The Daze in Connecticut,
a professional organizing business that helps individuals and businesses. She is the co-author of baby daze, the ultimate
toolbook to achieve successful parenting through organization. She is a member of NAPO, the National Association of
Professional Organizers, as well as the local Connecticut
and New York NAPO
chapters. Lynne lives in Connecticut with her
husband and two children. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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