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20th February 2021
05:00pm GMT

What to expect: Week #2
Congrats, mama, you made it through week one and are by now probably so besotted with your new baby you can't even remember what life looked like without him?
Week #2 will, to be honest, more than likely continue in much the same way as Week #1, in that life is blur of boobs and bottles and trying to sleep when the baby sleeps. Which you should, of course, much as we know it is tempting to put her down and actually sit down with your arms free to drink some tea or even just slump in front of the TV.
Your baby might cry more than she did last week, but keep in mind that this is her best and pretty much only way to communicate with you at this stage. Your task is to try and learn to decode her cries, is she hungry, uncomfortable, tired? And while it all yet sounds the same to you, trust me when I say you will soon become an expert on your baby and what her cries and noises really mean.
The little stump that is left of the umbilical cord will probably have fallen off by now. If not it should fall off this week.
If the weather is nice, you might venture out for your first little neighborhood walk this week, and get to road-test that pram for the first time. Lots of babies love the motion of the pram and will sleep for as long as you can muster up the energy to keep walking for.
If you are breastfeeding, your boobs might at times of the day (especially in the morning when you wake up!) feel heavy and tender. Make sure you get a feeding bra that fits perfectly and invest in some nipple cream of your nipples are getting cracked and sore.
What to expect: Week #3
The days are flying in, mamas, and you have made it into Week #3 of motherhood. If your partner or husband is heading back to work this week (sob!), make life easier for yourself by setting up little mini changing stations in all the rooms you spend a lot of time in (sitting room, kitchen, your bedroom). This will save you having to traipse up to the nursery or main bathroom every time you have to change a nappy.
The same goes for laundry baskets – invest in one for all the most used rooms in the house, especially wherever there is a changing mat or table. Then, when family comes to visit, get them to gather up the baskets and throw it all in the machine. Well, they did ask if you wanted help!
Remember to feed yourself. Keep plenty of healthy snacks nearby that are easy to prepare or eat – you might find you have a baby in your arms at all times, so the easier something is to eat, the more likely you are to actually eat it.
If anyone asks if they can do anything for you, ask them to prepare or buy some simple, bite-size snacks, things like carrot sticks and hummus are good, as are cereal bars, small crackers and washed berries. Keep your food simple if you're feeding, limit coffee and be careful of eating too much dairy or anything spicy as this might upset their little tummies.
Your baby might start wanting more food right about now, as many newborns go through a growth spurt around the three-week mark. If you're having trouble breastfeeding, call your local health nurse or a Lactation Consultant immediately. Log on to Cuidiú or any breastfeeding support website, where you can call a consultant to pop over to help out.
Expect more and longer periods of being awake too (that's your baby we are talking about, hopefully not you, mama) and an increasing ability to focus on objects (your face is her favorite).
Good luck and please share with us any tips we've left out – knowledge is power, people, and everyone's experiences are different – your newborn experience might have gone swimmingly, or been really hard – we would love to hear your stories and tips.Explore more on these topics: