Accept Help

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You'll soon be home from the hospital with a living being to take care of.  This can be daunting.  

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It may be difficult to accept help. Mentally you may be prepared to take care of your child but physically you and your partner will be exhausted. Remember your hormones may still be all over the place and you haven't had much sleep for a few days. So accept and be grateful for all the help you get.

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That help can be in the form of family and friends assisting with food, the laundry, shopping, making baby sleep, bathing baby etc.  It's also important to set some rules around visiting times so you get as much sleep as possible. Don't feel guilty about saying no when you are not up to seeing people.  They will understand.

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If you do not have family or friends close by come up with ways that your partner and you are not awake at the same time.  For example, take it in turns to sleep.  Prepare extra meals and freeze it so you don't have to cook everyday.  Stock up on extra groceries so the trips to the shops are minimal.

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If you are struggling with post natal depression or parenting there are support networks available.  Organisations such as Beyond Blue or Panda or Tresillian

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Baby's here!  Next..what's my body like after birth