*Collaborative post
The truth is the becoming a parent can be an exceedingly overwhelming experience, as well as an extremely wonderful one. Becoming a new parent is something that comes with a lot to think about, and often it can seem like you’re in information overload, with information being shared with you from all sides.
It’s a lot to take in, and it’s easy to find yourself struggling to cope as a result. However, you don’t have to feel like this; there are plenty of steps that you can take to make life as a new parent a little easier for yourself.
Those first few weeks and months of parenthood should be extremely special, but it can be difficult to enjoy them when you’re struggling to adjust to actually being a parent. The most important thing to remember when it comes to parenthood is to make sure that you are doing what makes you happy.
For everything that you need to know to make adjusting to motherhood a little easier, have a read of the tips and advice below.
Learn to live in the now
When you’re a new parent, you don’t have the time to be worrying about your to-do list. Things like laundry and going food shopping can wait – you have a teeny, tiny human to take care of. When you become a parent, it’s important to learn to live in the now and stop worrying about everything else that needs to be done.
Parenting a newborn is hard, and it’s important to realise that you cannot control everything anymore; instead, you just have to learn to live in the moment and enjoy where you are right now. Instead of worrying about what you should be doing. Try and shed that pressure to ensure that everything is ticked off your tick list at the end of the day, and instead, learn how to live in the moment, enjoying every precious second with your new addition.
Chill out about schedules
Don’t forget to give yourself a break when it comes to caring for a new baby. A lot of new parents get so wrapped up in the concept of having to stick to certain schedules, such as feeding their little one at certain times or making sure that they’re sleeping at certain times, but this can be exceedingly hard to stick to.
The fact is that babies don’t tend to stick to schedules, especially during those first few weeks and months of life. And as a parent, if you can chill out about schedules, you can make life far simpler and easier for yourself. Understand that your little one isn’t going to get into a routine right away, and instead of stressing about it, chill out about schedules and simply go with the flow. In time, your little one will get into a schedule, but it may take a while for a clear pattern to appear.
Make self-care a priority
As a new parent, it’s far too easy to let your own self-care end up on the backburner when actually you should be making time for yourself and your own care. Being a new parent can be overwhelming, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make time for yourself and your own self-care needs. Your physical and mental health pay a huge toll on pregnancy and childbirth, and it’s important to understand that is the case. You need to make sure that you’re taking your body’s needs seriously, and looking after yourself as best that you can.
For instance, say you’ve noticed that you’re feeling rather stressed out, then you might want to take time time to relax and unwind. Whether that’s simply by having a nice hot bubble bath or practicing a short yoga class, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you find a way to relax that works for you. Or, for example, say that you are struggling with cracked and sore nipples as a result of breastfeeding, it’s important that you take the time to look for natural remedies for cracked nipples, and find a way to manage the issue that has occurred. What you don’t want to do is leave these kinds of problems on the backburner, allowing them to get worse and worse.
Don’t panic about your weight
If you have gained weight as a result of pregnancy, it’s easy to panic about it. However, the fact is that there is no rush to shed those extra pounds of weight – your body has done something amazing and it’s important to be aware of that. There’s no need to panic about how quickly you can shed the excess weight because there’s no rush to do so. Instead, focus on looking after your new addition and your own mental health.
Once you’ve adjusted to life as a parent, you can then begin to think about how you can help to get your body back in shape. However, dieting is rarely the answer, it’s normally best to take a healthier and less restrictive approach, simply combining adequate physical activity with a healthy diet.
Find your crew
Parenthood can be extremely lonely, especially in the early weeks and months when your little one requires so much care. That’s why it is so important that you ensure that you have a good support system in place; part of that support system should be meeting other new mums and dads. If you’re going to make parenthood as enjoyable as possible, it’s important that you think about finding your crew, if you don’t already have a group of friends, that is.
There are lots of simple ways that you can make meeting other parents a little easier to do, such as by attending parent and baby classes, for instance. You might also find that it’s easier to make new friends by joining some local Facebook parenting groups, allowing you to meet and connect with other local parents. This is really important for your own wellbeing, as everyone needs a support system in place.
As a new parent, you really do need to have a good support system in place, which is why making friends is so very important when you have a new baby to care for. You want to be able to talk to people who understand what you’re going through because they’re going through the same thing as you are, and that’s where having a parenting crew can come in so handy.
Give your partner a chance to shine
Don’t make the mistake of failing to allow your partner to do anything for your new addition; the fact is that your little ones are both your babies, and you don’t want your partner to feel pushed out. A lot of new dads find that they feel pushed out when the baby arrives, however, if you want to ensure that this isn’t the case for your partner, give them the chance to shine by letting them get as involved as possible in your little one’s care.
Encourage your partner to take control of your little one’s care in the same way that you do. What you want to do is build an environment that when it comes to child care, you are both equal and are able to support and help each other as part of that.
Enjoy it
It’s far too easy to forget just how precious those first few weeks and months of parenthood are after you bring your little one home from the hospital. The fact is that while parenting a newborn is extremely hard work, it’s also a very special time and something that you don’t want to miss enjoying, because once that time is gone, you cannot get it back. That’s why it’s so important that you slow down and enjoy those first few weeks and months, really taking time to appreciate your little one.
It’s also a good time to make some memories that will last a lifetime, such as by having a newborn photoshoot done and a family photoshoot. You could also opt to have casts made of your little one’s hands and feet – these make a wonderful keepsake, and a fantastic reminder of those early few weeks and months that you spent as a family.
There you have it, everything that you need to know about adjusting to life as a new parent. It’s not always easy, but it is doable to adapt and have the most amazing first few weeks and months with your little one.
Hopefully, the guide – and tips and advice – above will help to make adjusting to your new life as a parent, that little bit easier. Parenting a newborn is never going to be a walk in the park, especially when it’s your first baby as there’s just so much that you need to learn and take into account. However, there are steps that you can take – such as those outlined above – that can help to make coping that little bit easier for you and your partner.