Taking Care of Your Health

⇒ Care of Mother

Care of Baby

Nutritional Diet

Keep In Mind

Babies are a lot of work! So it is important to keep yourself in shape and healthy so that you can keep up with the new demands.

First, it will be necessary to set up an appointment with your doctor for a six-week check up. The main purpose of this appointment is to have a general physical, ensure that your body is recovering from pregnancy as it should, and to discuss any concerns you may have. Until the day of the appointment, your body will be going through the following changes:

• You will continue to have vaginal bleeding, although it should gradually decrease over time
• You will have "menstral-like" cramps as your uterus continues to contract and get smaller
• Your abdomen may feel sore when pressed on, since the muscles have been overworked
• Your breasts will become swollen within 2 - 5 days of delivery, due to an increase in blood flow, which is required to make breastmilk
• You may have trouble urinating at first due to swelling and anesthesia (if you had any) -- an ice pack should help to decrease swelling
• You may become emotional, irritable, restless, tired, or have a change in appetite (if the blues last for more than 3 weeks, it may be a good idea to contact your doctor)

Postpartum Depression

It's normal to feel overwhelmed, irritable, and have periods of sadness after having a baby. However, if these feelings continue or worsen, you may need to consult with your health care provider. Below is a brief quiz to help you decide whether or not you should contact your doctor.

Rate each symptom as follows:

• 0 = Not at all
• 1 = Mild
• 2 = Moderate
• 3 = Severe

____ Feeling lonely or alone
____ Feeling sad or unhappy
____ Discouraged
____ *Depression
____ *Hopeless
____ Frustrated
____ Angry
____ Nervous
____ Irritable
____ *Panic feelings
____ *Panic attacks (episodes of panic, trouble breathing,
        fast heartbeat, strong need to get away)
____ Mood swings
____ Low motivation or energy
____ Feeling little or no love for your baby
____ Loss of self confidence, self respect
____ *Feeling like you want to die
____ *Fear of harming yourself or the baby
____ Forgetful, absent minded
____ Confused, uncertain
____ *Odd, frightening, repetitive thoughts
____ Crying spells
____ Problems with family or friends
____ Loss of sexual desire or pleasure in sex
____ Inability to fall asleep or stay asleep
____ Excessive sleep
____ Fatigue (feeling tired or exhausted)
____ Poor appetite
____ Excessive eating
____ Weight loss/gain
____ Less interest in your personal appearance

If you scored more than 0 on any asterisked item (*) or 3 (severe) on any item, please call your health care provider today.

(Quiz provided by Step By Step: A Guide For Your Pregnancy)

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