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The first month after giving birth is the toughest for a new mom. You and your baby are getting the hang of breastfeeding and trying to settle into a routine. There are lots of sleepy moments and crying coming from the baby and YOU. The exhaustion can push you to the brink, and or at least make one first-time mom in our Smart Parenting Village Facebook group ask fellow members, "Paano kayo nagka-survive after you gave birth?"
Here are realistic pieces of advice from us and the Village to help you survive the fourth trimester.
Find someone to help you with your food.
One mom from the Smart Parenting Village shared that her husband cooks food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner before he leaves for work. That way, the new mom can just reheat and eat during her free time. You can also ask for your family and friends to send you cooked food.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWThere's always the food deliveries you can call or order online. Try Mom Made, Real Girl Toy Kitchen, or Mr. Delicious. Apart from the usual fastfood places that now have their own delivery apps, try Foodpanda, Delivery Guy, and Towanyone. These are food delivery apps for restaurants, not just fastfood favorites, near you.
CONTINUE READING BELOWRecommended VideosHire a health professional!
The teammmate for those sleepless nights is usually the partner or your mom. But if they are unavailable, you can hire a night nurse, like Iya Villania and Isabelle Daza using the Aide app (you can also get a doctor to do a house call through the app).
Night nurses can help you get a good night's sleep. They wake you up for every feeding but you can sleep well knowing someone skilled in child care is looking after your baby.
Get "runners" for your errands or shopping.
When a new mom suddenly finds herself out of baby diapers, who can make a quick trip to the supermarket? What can you do if no family or friend is available to help you? HonestBee and Metromart offer to buy your groceries or any goods under their participating stores (from baby needs to pet needs and more!) and deliver it right to your doorstep. They also deliver food.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWIf you need someone to do errands for you, try the MyKuya. It will buy you food from restaurants that don't deliver, do your bills payment, and sit for your pets (rates start at Php49 for every 30 minutes to complete your errand). The Nanny Philippines, on the other hand, offers temporary house help or yaya for a day rate of Php900.
Let someone else do the mopping!
Cleaning the house isn't a priority household chore at this parenting stage. But if the dirt and clutter are giving you stress, invest in a cleaning service. After all, you won't be paying for it every day, nor do you need deep-cleaning every week.
There are a lot of cleaning services available nowadays that caters to certain cities and offers different levels of cleaning. Aside from LadyLinisPH, which celebrity mom of two Jennica Uytingco recommended, there's Busy Bee Cleaning Co., Rainbow Cleaners, The Cleaning Diva, and more. (Click the links for a list of cleaning services curated by SmartParenting.com.ph and RealLiving.ph.)
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWThese services are just one call or click away, so there shouldn't really be no excuse to shy away from asking for help if you have the means to pay for them. Just look at it this way: asking for help, even if it's for a price, can help you focus on you and your baby's needs.
Head here for breastfeeding tips, information on newborn care, and guidelines on postpartum care.
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