Having a baby changes your whole world. Even women who always knew they wanted to be moms and planned for it for years are blown away by the sheer time and energy it takes to love and care for a newborn. You've read all the books and have the nursery ready but what about all those lurking fears. Will you survive the adjustment? How does it feel and will you get yourself back?

Labor and Birth - After the Baby is Born
Caring for a new baby is one of the happiest and challenging times in a woman's life. A new mother must take special care of her body after giving birth and while breastfeeding.

Getting Rest
The first few days at home after having your baby are especially important for recuperation, physically and emotionally. You need to focus your energy on yourself and your new baby. Even though you may be very excited and will be asked for visits from family and friends, try to get as much rest as you can. Don't expect to keep your house perfect, you need to eat properly, get enough sleep and take care of your baby. Rest when the baby rests, and do not try to do too much around the house. Allow others to help you with cleaning, laundry, meals, or with caring for the baby.

Physical Changes
After the birth of your baby your doctor will talk with you about what you can expect as your body starts to recover.

You will have spotting or bleeding off and on for up to six weeks. You may experience swelling in your legs and feet. You can reduce swelling just like you did when pregnant, by keeping your feet elevated when possible. You might feel constipated so be sure to drink plenty of water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

Uterine cramping is common, especially if you are breastfeeding. Your breast milk will come in within 3 to 6 days after your delivery. Even if you are not breastfeeding milk may leak from your nipples, and your breasts might feel full, tender or uncomfortable while they adjust.

Doctors usually recommend that you abstain from sexual intercourse for 4 to 6 weeks after birth. Before resuming sexual intercourse, talk with your doctor about birth control since you can become pregnant again. Breastfeeding absolutely does not protect you from getting pregnant again.

Regaining a Healthy Weight and Shape
Both pregnancy and labor can affect a woman's body shape. If you are trying to lose pregnancy weight, make sure you do it in a healthy way and consult your doctor before you start any type of diet or exercise plan. If you want to diet and are breastfeeding, it is best to wait until your baby is at least two months old as you need energy and calories the first couple months. When you start to lose weight, try not to lose too much too quickly because environmental toxins that are stored in your body fat can be released into your breast milk. Losing about one pound per week has been found to be a safe amount which won't affect your milk supply or the baby's growth.

Infant Safety
Since 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that infants be placed to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS}. SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby under one year of age. Even though there is no way to know which babies might die of SIDS, there are some things that you can do to make your baby safer: Always place your baby on his or her back or side to sleep, even for naps. This is the safest sleep position for a healthy baby to reduce the risk of SIDS. Remove soft, fluffy, and loose bedding and stuffed toys from your baby's sleep area. Make sure you keep all pillows, quilts, stuffed toys, and other soft items away from your baby's sleep area.

Make sure everyone who cares for your baby knows to place your baby on his or her back or side to sleep and about the dangers of soft bedding. Talk to child care providers, grandparents, babysitters, and all caregivers about the risk of SIDS.

Make sure your baby's face and head stay completely uncovered during sleep. Keep blankets and other coverings away from your baby's mouth and nose so they can breathe freely. If you use a blanket, make sure that the baby's feet are at the bottom of the crib and that the blanket is no higher than the baby's chest. Make sure the blanket is tucked in around the bottom of the crib mattress.

Do not allow smoking around your baby ever as this can increase the risk of SIDS. Make sure no one smokes around your baby, including you.

Never let your baby get too warm during sleep. Your baby's room should be at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult and remember that too many layers of clothing or blankets can overheat your baby.

Some mothers worry if the baby rolls over during the night. However, when your baby is able to roll over by herself, the risk for SIDS is reduced. During the time of greatest risk, 2 to 4 months of age, most babies are not able to turn over from their backs to their stomachs.