Every woman spends a lot of time preparing to give birth to a child and getting their home ready to welcome the new addition to their family, but many do not know how to prepare themselves for the confinement period to come.
Most find themselves completely unprepared and taken by surprise at what it is really like to be a confinement lady.
You can avoid the drama by preparing yourself in advance for this period of line.
One thing many ladies are not prepared to handle is the lack of sleep that comes during confinement.
A newborn baby needs care around the clock and most will require feeding about every couple of hours.
Some babies may sleep a bit more than others, but it is basic human nature for them to take a couple hours of rest and then demand nourishment so they can continue on to the next couple hours of rest.
Those sleeping habits are not in sync with the typical sleeping habits of a grown woman, which is why confinement can be a period of exhaustion mentally and physically if you try to do it all on your own.
Having a spouse or other children on hand can take a bit of the pressure off, but they will have their own schedules to tend to and will become worn out quickly as well.
This is why most confinement ladies will have hired nurses on hand to help take care of the newborn's needs.
This is especially important during the first month of the baby's life, since many babies will settle into a more routine sleeping schedule after a few weeks.
It is important to understand that newborn babies wake up so frequently because they have an insatiable need for nourishment.
They may need diaper changes and love to be cuddled and kept warm, but their primary concern in life is making sure their stomachs stay full and they feel loved and well nourished.
This is why much of the confinement period is spent feeding the baby.
Many new mothers eventually discover that times of feeding are great times to bond with the baby.
You may think about the dark hours of the night and very early morning as a time you don't want to be awake, but those times can be very special when it is just you and the baby awake.
Touching them, feeling them close, and looking into their sleepy eyes will bond you together like nothing else in life so take advantage of it and enjoy it no matter how tired you may feel.
Another thing every woman should be encouraged to do in confinement is talk to their baby.
Don't think that you have to keep all of your thoughts in your head since your new baby cannot talk back or understand what you are saying.
Talk freely about whatever is on your mind so the baby gets used to hearing your voice and begins to learn how to communicate themselves.
Yes, even within the first few weeks of birth they can learn from hearing you talk! One final thing that all women should know prior to entering confinement is that babies are not breakable.
So many women go into confinement afraid to move their baby in any way because they don't want to hurt them, but babies are actually tougher than we give them credit for.
Treat them with love and care and you will be just fine!