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Congratulations! Maybe you're reading this page because you are about to have a child, or maybe you are simply studying child development. Whatever the reason, the birth of a child is a major event. It changes a lot in the family dynamics. The whole family system that you are accustomed to is about to change to make room for one more! After you have found that special someone and made a commitment to one another, the next step might be to create a family. This step not only affects the new baby, but the mother, father and the grandparents. In having a child, your family circle has added a few more chapters to its book. This page will help you better understand some of the changes that can occur when you decide to add on to your family. It will help you recognize some common concerns of parents and grandparents, and will help both mothers and fathers recognize what they might be feeling.
This page focuses on a number of issues related to becoming a mother, father, or a grandparent.
Changes In The Mother
What does a mother expect to happen to her emotions once the baby comes?
Having a baby is an exciting time for a mother-to-be, but the body goes through a lot of hormonal, mental and physical changes. If one is not prepared for what will happen to their bodies and state of mind, the joyous moment of having a baby could easily turn into a stressful event.
Hormones
There are certain hormones that have great effect on a mom-to-be. Estrogen and progesterone, the female sex hormones, rise to a higher level during pregnancy. This is a normal event in the woman's body. Once the baby is born they then plummet. This sudden change is normal, but so are some of the emotional effect it has on some women. One important thing to understand when going through this change is that you are not the only one this happens to. Hormonal changes is just one of the many things occurring in a mother-to-be's body. There are ways to treat some unwanted feelings that can be triggered by these changes. Check with your doctor.
Physical Effects
With all of the hormonal changes there are also some physical changes that occur during and after pregnancy. During pregnancy body changes include weight gain as well as beginning to lactate, or produce milk. Gaining weight is a normal process in pregnancy and the average weight gain is 25 to 30 pounds. The female body also starts to lactate in order to provide nutrition for her new baby.
The female body also has many other physical changes that can occur here are just a few that are common:
(Eisneberg, 396-397)
This might seem over whelming, but there are available treatments to help reduce these occurrences, and in time most of them will disappear.
Emotional Effects
"Baby Blues" and Depression
"The baby blues is a relatively mild form of sadness and anxiety that begins soon after the childbirth and may last for several weeks." Approximately 50 to 75 percent of women experience this. This emotional occurrence is nothing to worry about and will soon disappear (Feelings After Birth).
Postpartum depression is a disorder that is fairly common. Most mothers don't understand the disorder and often it goes undiagnosed. It is important for women to express any feelings that are bothersome. Let your family know exactly how you feel. An estimated 10 to 20 percent of women experience some form of depression after giving birth. In order to be a little bit more prepared how to pick out some warning signals here are a few signs:
Most of these emotions will go away on their own, but in some cases medical intervention should be considered.
The Birth of a Child: How 