When women discuss childbirth, they talked mostly about the difficulties and pain of the actual delivery. In fact, it is probably the most commonly asked questions by women who are pregnant for the first time. It is little wonder, therefore, that most first time mothers are ill-prepared to face the more daunting task of caring for themselves and their newborns after childbirth. Here are some tips to help you survive the wonderful yet challenging first few months.

The first rule to remember is to take things easy at this stage. As your body is still recovering from the rigors of childbirth you, allow yourself as much time as possible to rest and relax. You should understand that the top priority at this time is caring for your baby and yourself. Unwashed dishes, unmade bed, a little mess here and there can wait. For this reason, take up offers of help from willing friends and relatives. Alternatively, get a hired help. They should be able to help take care of most domestic chores, thus allowing you more time for yourself and your baby.

If you have attended antenatal classes during your pregnancy, do keep in touch with the other new parents. This gives you the opportunity to share and compare notes on your experiences with your babies. Apart from getting useful advice and tips, you will be comforted that you are not alone in this. As no two babies are alike, what works for one baby may not work for another baby. Do take time to discover what the baby likes or dislikes. Even if your baby seems particularly fussy or difficult, you will eventually find out what soothes him or her. Do not worry about "spoiling" the baby by responding quickly to his or her cries.

If you can afford it, do engage midwives for post-natal visits. Apart from performing physical examinations on the mother and the baby, these experienced midwives have a wealth of knowledge to impart. The post-natal services are available from hospitals and private maternal services provider.

Most importantly, you must learn to accept that your life is changed for at least the foreseeable future. You will find that you no longer gets uninterrupted sleep be it day or night. While it is futile to try force the baby to adopt your sleeping pattern, you can learn to adapt to the baby's. Tell yourself that this is only temporary and focus on enjoying this special time that will come to pass.

Being homebound for a long period of time can add to your stress level and more so if the baby is fussy or colicky. If you need to, take a break, get out of the house and away from the baby (but make sure you have someone trustworthy to look after the baby while you are away). Do not be alarmed or feel guilty about wanting to get away. A leisurely walk in the park or mall can do wonders to relief the pent-up stress.