The first 48 hours with a newborn

Nobody warns you about this part properly. Here's the truth.

• Newborns sleep, eat, poop, cry. That's the whole job for a week. Yours is to keep mum fed and watered while she heals.
• She will bleed for days, sometimes weeks. Stock up on maxi pads (the giant ones). Stocking the bathroom is a love language.
• Visitors come too fast. Be the bouncer. "She's resting — let's plan something next week."
• Take photos of everything, but live in some moments without a screen. The light, the smell of his head, her face when he latches. You'll forget.
• The baby blues hit on day 3-5. Sudden tears for no reason. Normal. Listen, don't fix. If it lasts past day 14 or feels darker than blue — call the midwife. Postpartum depression is treatable and common.