If you are breastfeeding, be patient while you and your baby are getting hang of it! The benefits of breastfeeding are many and in order for it to be successful, it is important to start out right. Keep in mind though it may take several weeks until you both feel comfortable and get a feeding schedule down.

Most new moms feel and experience:

Exhaustion! Bloody vaginal discharge for first week or so Discomfort or pain in perineal area if you had a vaginal delivery Incision pain or numbness if you had a cesarean delivery Abdominal cramping (afterpains) as uterus contracts Elation or depression or swings between both Breast discomfort or engorgement Fears about your adequacy as a mother Profuse sweating after first couple of days Although it may be tempting to try to be a 'supermom', now is not time. The best advice that I received as an new mom was to accept help of others, eat regular meals and sleep when baby sleeps. Now it's my turn to pass that advice on to you.

Since home swimming pools create a very big and real hazzard, follow these steps to minimize risks:

Completely enclose outdoor pools on all sides. Make sure that gate is self closing and latching. Install a pool side telephone and rescue aids Get trained in first aid and CPR Never leave your children unattended in or around pool, not even for a moment. Hot tubs and children also don't mix. Ensure that your hot tub is covered very securly when not in use. In addition to dangers of drowning, hot tubs pose other risks to children. The water temperature may be too high for them to tolerate -- temperatures over 100 degrees may increase a childs heartrate to dangerous levels.

Water play can be great fun -- please play safe!