Your Baby Is 10 Weeks Old!
Birth control and breastfeeding?
Back to work reluctance?
Unsafe food for nursing?
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Newsflash: Even if your period hasn’t returned yet, you can still get pregnant…just ask a new mother who learned the hard way! It generally takes three to ten weeks after delivery for menstruation to resume, but can be longer if you’re breastfeeding. Since you ovulate before there’s any actual sign of your period, though, your best bet is to use contraception as soon as you start having sex again. (Unless, of course, you’re already hoping for another new addition.) If you decide to go back on the Pill and are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor about finding a medication that doesn’t include estrogen.
Sleeping beauty
Baby’s starting to sleep for longer intervals — up to five or six hours at a time, if you’re lucky. While she’s probably still waking up for nighttime feedings, you can try to space them out by increasing the amount of milk she drinks during the day, particularly before bedtime. Weaning baby off nighttime feedings is the first step toward sleeping through the night, but as always, follow baby’s lead. She’ll let you know when she’s ready to start going longer between feedings.
To-do:
[tip] If baby falls asleep during feedings, dribbling milk on his lips or juggling your breast or bottle in his mouth should get him up and eating.
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All medical information reviewed by Dr. Paula Prezioso of Pediatric Associates in New York City
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