3 big post-pregnancy spoilers

Namita Jain tells expecting mommies, look beyond felicity. Gear up to handle the biggest issues you deal with post-pregnancy.
SLEEP DEPRAVATION
It's ironic, isn't it? Sleep, the very thing that could possibly keep you relaxed, rejuvenated and raring to meet your baby's umpteen demands, is denied to you in the initial months immediately after delivery.
What you need to know:
Brand-new mothers are often bewildered by the sleep pattern of their babies.They sleep often but in short bouts (ranging from half an hour to about three-four hours) which are punctuated by feeding. In keeping with this haphazard schedule, your baby may sleep throughout the day and stay up for the larger part of the night -and you have no option but to follow suit.» Newborns aren't cued into day and night and it takes them a while to learn -much to the dismay of their sleep-deprived mothers -that night time is for sleeping. Some studies indicate that new mothers may have to wait about three to five months before they can hope that their baby, along with themselves, get a decent night's sleep.
How to deal with it:
For the baby: Make it easy for your baby to distinguish between day and night by monitoring lighting patterns -keep it bright during the day, dimmed at night. Involve the baby in your daily chores during the day and slowly fade out activity by nightfall. It's your way of telling him the day is winding down and it is time to retire for the night.» Keep it quiet during night-time feedings. Chances are that the baby will feed and go right back to sleep.» Breastfeed him just before bedtime and for longer than usual. Breast milk contains tryptophan which helps manufacture melatonin, a hormone responsible for inducing drowsiness.
For yourself:
Eat right -calmly and slowly. Rushing through your food will upset your digestion and cause you sleepless nights.» Exercise daily. It busts stress and makes you feel good about yourself. It also induces tiredness and sleep.
STRESS
It's when stress gets out of hand does the problem start.
And, as new mothers everywhere will tell you, they face a number of situations day in and day out which can bring this about -sleeplessness; physical discomfort lingering from delivery; a frequently crying baby, a frequently hungry baby; lack of sufficient help, piled-up chores... Sounds like a nightmare? It need not be.
What you need to know:
The process of delivery itself is stress inducing. The levels of epinephrine and cortisol -hormones responsible for inducing psychological stress rise by a massive 500 per cent during labour.» Post-delivery, the stress is due to ex ternal factors -physical pain, chang es in routine brought about by the baby, and so on. And also by your own state of mind -expecting too much from yourself and from those around you; unnecessarily fretting about the baby's health; constantly worrying about how you will regain your prepregnancy figure...
How to deal with it:
Identify the causes which are adding to your stress. If they are the kind that you can work on, do so. If lack of help is making you anxious, ask family or friends to come and stay over while you get the hang of playing mother.» In order to ensure that your state of mind isn't adding to your woes, sur round yourself with positive energy.
Allow sunlight to stream into your home. Stay in touch with people who are supportive and who make you happy.» Set boundaries. Don't take on addi tional responsibilities knowing that you won't be able to handle them. The magic word here is, `No!'
TRY THIS
Abdominal Diaphragmatic Breathing - Sit comfortably on a chair. Place your hands on your stomach, breathe in and out. Feel your stomach go out when you breathe in, feel it come in when you breathe out. The chest and the shoulders must remain in place.Do this slowly and try to make every breath last longer than the one before it. Do this for three to four minutes daily.
BAD POSTURE
I truly believe that the one thing you can work on as soon as you are up and about is your posture. Posture is important no matter which activity you are engaging in --from standing up, sitting down and sleeping to carrying, feeding and changing your baby.
What you need to know:
Good posture protects your body from injuries. Bad posture puts strain on your joints, bones and muscles.
How to deal with it
Practise getting into the right posture for the following activities:
» Walking a stroller
Keep your head and chin up, your shoul ders down and your chest out. Bend your arms but don't lock your elbows. While pushing the stroller, avoid straining your wrists by flexing them too much and ex erting pressure on them.
» Carrying the baby
Keep your spine straight, not hunched, not bent backward or forward. It is al ways a good idea to centre your baby to your body. Carrying him on any one side will affect your centre of gravity.
» Changing the baby's diaper
Make sure your work surface is a little above elbow level. This will avoid your bending forward and rounding your back to change the diaper. Keep the supplies handy, not somewhere that requires you to bend or twist.
Sleeping
Sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs. If you tend to sleep on your back, bend your knees and tuck a pillow below them to support your back.
» Getting out of bed
Turn on one side, shoulders, hips, knees, and legs together to prevent twisting.
Swing your legs over the side of the bed and to the ground and use them to push your body into a sitting position.
-Extracted from Namita Jain's Post-Baby Bounce with permission from HarperCollins