Anxieties of a young mother

This book is written for young parents, especially those not yet experienced in the art of motherhood to help alleviate the anxieties that follow the birth and care of a new born baby till they are one year old.
Although the titleseems to focus on the mothers, fathers are not exempted and should also go through this book since they are also involved in the worry and accompanying sleepless nights.
Babies are supposed to be a desired gift from God and a bundle of joy to their parents, but often this joy is truncated by anxieties resulting from lack of knowledge, ‘old wives fables’, myths and cultural beliefs which are often not very accurate, sending the young parents running from place to place in search of solutions.
Funny enough, most causes of the worries are often normal processes that should take place as the newborn readjusts to life outside the mothers’ womb. Some are minor problems that could be solved by a Paediatrician or good General practitioner often by counselling, bringing a much desired relief and a relaxed environment in the home.
However, a trip to the wrong place or a wrong advice from the wrong quarters could, not only permanently damage the child but also lead to the demise of the neonate or infant with much sorrow to the family.
The facts in this book are put together to help these young parents acquire the knowledge they need for the handling of their newborn babies, reduce anxiety and apply appropriate measures that will help the babies enjoy a healthy beginning in life. It is a result of many years of practice in child health both in the public and private hospital set up. It will answer a lot of questions posed by young mothers who consult paediatricians, other doctors, nurses, other health practitioners and sometimes quacks on issues that they either need not worry about or are easily sorted out by people who know what to do. It is my belief that this information will also help to reduce the incidence of ill health (morbidity) and deaths (mortality) among this age group when more parents know what to do and apply this knowledge appropriately. Mothers will also experience less anxiety especially as some mothers run high blood pressures after delivery. Any knowledge or interventions that will bring less anxiety during this period should therefore be most welcome.