Well, this has developed in interesting directions in the meantime. I am following the government's guidelines on weaning, etc. They have recently changed it to six months; although it used to be four a few years ago:
Your baby's first solid foods - Pregnancy and baby guide - NHS Choices
Also, these days when you leave the hospital you get lots of booklets on going home with the baby, feeding and safe sleeping and so on; also people have a team of midwives visiting regularly for a while. I guess it must have been a lot less regulated in the past, at least it was for my parents.
Anyway, I think, scheduling in a holiday and some time off after the new baby stage is essential for one's general health and well-being. Speaking to others, my impression is that people tend to forget how hard it was and only remember the good things. Otherwise we might not have more kids )