The Father’s Role

Dads are unjustly relegated in the stage of the postpartum. All of the attention is centered on the baby and the mother; however they also want to participate and normally feel deferred, ignored, and overwhelmed with the responsibility of bringing a child into the world. It is true that they are sometimes afraid of carrying the baby when the child is very small, but be patient, most dads react at their own time and in their own way. Don’t become resentful if at first dad does not seem to enthusiastic about the baby. It is necessary for him to participate in all of the activities related to the baby. Give him simple and specific jobs so that he habituates and integrates. The dad can start out by “burping” the baby and later on can participate in bathing the baby, changing diapers or preparing bottles.

Spoil Yourself Too
Set aside some time for yourself. If you have had a normal delivery, in a week you will be in conditions to go out and walk a little, go drink a juice out, go to the barber or visit a friend. If you have had a cesarean, the recovery can take a few additional weeks.

Useful Recommendations

• Do simple breathing exercises and muscle contractions, when the doctor authorizes it you will be able to start doing more vigorous calisthenics.

• Wear a back corset, it will make you feel secure to have your abdomen tight and will avoid the tissue from getting loose.

• Do not do diets to lose weight. If you are breastfeeding, you will go back to having almost the same figure you did before quicker.

• Drink a lot of liquid, eat foods that are easy to digest and that have high nutritional value.

• Avoid eating garlic, onions, cabbage, crustaceans and hunting meats. Instead eat fish, vegetables, fruit, fibers and infusions done with cumin seeds, anis and fennel.

• You can also drink pineapple water and other juices.

• When you get back from having gone out, change your clothing because the cloth of the clothes will retain the external odors that can perturb the delicate sense of smell of your baby.

• Do not pay any attention to the popular beliefs that say that when you wash or eat something cold or hot the temperature of your breast milk changes, this is completely false. 

Did You Know That?
The Buddhists have a wise thought: when you eat, think about eating, when you play think about playing. Apply this to your family life and think about what you are doing every time you are with the baby.