9 Unpleasant Things You Could Do To A New Mom After She Gives Birth

Nine months of hard work, pain and suffering seem all worth it the minute a pregnant woman delivers her baby. The last few days before giving birth are so critical that it almost equates the anxiety of the remaining weeks of pregnancy put together. Once delivered, all the woman needs is to feel the moment she has been waiting for so patiently.

While that seems like a dream, the reality is absolutely different. What is supposed to be the golden hour for the lady, turns out to be a nightmare of sorts. If she has had a normal delivery and there are no complications, her needs are pretty simple.

While a woman just needs her privacy and her me-time with her baby, she gets surprised by visitors when she is least expecting them. She could be topless, vulnerable, irritable and not ready to meet people. She could be intruded by hospital staff who walk in and out oblivious to her needs at that moment and random family members who are waiting to announce the arrival of her little one, way before she gains consciousness.

So, be a little sensitive and avoid ruining her moment, by not doing these nine cruel things:

In This Article

1. Not paying attention to her needs

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Every pregnant woman gets all the care and attention until she delivers. After that, suddenly all eyes shift to the little one, and the mother is most often than not ignored. People walk in on her when she is still in a state of undress, and go about with their duties oblivious to her needs.

2. Not telling her about the baby’s well being

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Although the mother is in the operation theatre or the labour room, she is very often kept uninformed about her baby. Sometimes the infant is taken to the NICU without the mother’s knowledge.

3. Bombard her with visitors

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Visitors are great but a little time off them helps ease the pressure on the new mom. She could be in need of sleep and rest, but constant visitors could disturb her. Have a time set aside and inform everyone to come at that hour only.

4. Force her to breastfeed

It is common knowledge that it takes a few hours before the mother can actually start feeding her little one. So don’t force her. Hospital staff sometimes get a little too pushy and force the mother to breastfeed only after a few minutes of delivery. Let her decide when she’s ready and assist her if required.

5. Rush through the procedure

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Don’t rush with the medical mandates. Nurses and doctors need to factor in the patients need before checking off items on their to-do list.

6. Starve the mother

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If the mother has delivered normally, there is no reason for her to be kept hungry. Give her the required food and water the minute she can take considering the labour process must have taken away all her energy.

7. Don’t let her hold her baby first

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Nobody has the right to hold the baby before the mother. Don’t take that away from her. The only exception to this is in the case of a medical emergency.

8. Make the big announcement without her consent

It is not your thing to announce on behalf of the parents. Relatives sometimes feel over excited and go on social media making baby announcements even before the parents have come to terms with their newly acquired status. Let it sink in and let them break the news to the world.

9. Mishandle her body

Between all that mammoth task of delivering a new life into the world, the woman needs only one touch, that of her newborn. Don’t let nurses and lactation consultants mishandle her. If there is a medical procedure required, inform the mother before injecting her or manhandling her body parts.

Pregnancy and postpartum are all interconnected and one needs to be sensitive about it. Make the mother feel special and as important to you as the baby for others to realize her needs and demands. Don’t be overbearing and don’t intrude on her privacy. You might be in her position someday.

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