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If your baby has been delivered in hospital, your natural longing to get it home may be diluted by equally natural feelings of apprehension. You will probably experience some of the kind of stress that occurs when you drive a car on your own for the first time after passing your driving test. You will of course be able to draw on the practical knowledge gained during your ante-natal classes, but anxiety about caring for the new baby for real will be considerably allayed as well by being aware of the supportive post-natal care that will be available to you.
Your midwife will call at least once a day for 3 weeks, to check on the baby's well-being and your recovery. After she stops coming she will be replaced by a health visitor, who may also be able to arrange for a home help. If you have a toddler, she may be able to arrange for him or her to be looked after in a day nursery, to give you more time to get to know the new baby.
If you can afford it, you may wish to arrange for a temporary nanny to live in for the first few weeks after bringing a new baby home. This is especially helpful if the nanny has come through a strong personal recommendation, but do bear in mind that the presence of a stranger, however professional and well-meaning, after such a major upheaval as giving birth may seem like yet another form of disruption to the routine to cope with. Many new mothers would probably ideally prefer their own mother to come to stay for a short time, if feasible.
Whatever the source, don't be proud about accepting all the help you can get, to ease adjustment to your new life with the baby. You will need to catch up on as much sleep as you can yourself, especially as nights will have to be broken for feeding purposes, even if the baby is otherwise a sound sleeper.
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