“Taking care of my own baby is so tough, it’s so much different from babysitting other’s baby. My baby is constantly on my mind and I think of nothing else. I worry so much and I’ve lost my appetite as well as my sleep.” Jennifer, 28 years; Anders, 2 weeks
Dr. Stork says: It’ll be tough if you are a first-time parent. It’s even harder if your baby cries a lot, which most babies do in the first few weeks of life. Some babies may cry more than others, no matter how much mom and dad try to meet their needs. The hardest part of those first weeks with baby may be lack of time to do anything for yourself. Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, you need to take good care of yourself. When you are breastfeeding you need about 500 extra calories each day. A sandwich and two extra glasses of milk in addition to your “regular” nutritious diet should be enough. Also be sure you drink 12-16 glasses of liquids each day. You don’t have to drink milk to make breast milk. Of course, if you can drink milk, include it as part of your liquids. In addition, drink water and fruit juices, limit your intake of coffee or tea to two cups a day though. When you are nursing, it is important to get comfortable. If you get too tired, you may not be able to produce as much milk. You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of the baby.
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