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With the arrival of your new baby, your life changes forever. There are so many changes happening in your daily schedule, your body, and your emotions. And don’t even get me started on the lack of sleep. My 3 kids were only 3.5 years apart from my oldest to youngest. Between my 2nd baby and third, there were only 16 months! I can’t remember sleeping a solid night in the first 5 years after starting our family. whew!
Don’t worry Momma. Time keeps turning and you will adjust one day at a time to new routines, introductions of foods, learning your baby’s cries (although sometimes I could never tell between poopy diaper and the little ones being hungry. Just check one end and if that’s not it feed them a bottle! LOL And if that’s not it, their tummy might be upset or they might just need to be held. We all do, right? I’m 45 and still need a hug every day! 🙂 If you are feeling that Mommy Guilt(or daddy guilt) check out my article for encouragement – An Encouraging Letter To All Moms.
The adjustment period for new parents is a difficult one. It can also be draining as well as rewarding at the same time. It’s important to take care of yourself and find an outlet to relieve stress. You might want to try a few things you didn’t do before you had kids, like going for a walk or taking up a sport. By doing this, you will also be giving your baby the best possible start in life by teaching them healthy habits from an early age.
The transition into life as a new parent is not easy. As your world and responsibilities change, it can be hard to maintain balance and focus on your work. There are many things that new parents need to deal with in the beginning. They might find it challenging to keep up with everything they need to do, from working through the shopping checklist for new parents and preparing to keeping up with work and home responsibilities. The tips in this article will help you adjust to life as a new parent and not lose all of the hard-earned progress that you’ve made so far.
Seek Help
When you are a new mom (or dad), you are going to get so much unsolicitated advice. It’s annoying but there are nuggets of gold wisdom that can help you during this time. So ask questions even if you feel like it’s something you “should” already know. Because, no, you “should” not know everything about parenting! No one does. And if they “do”, don’t buy their book or program or whatever poo they are selling. Still, you can seek advise and, as the old saying goes, “Take it with a grain of salt.”
Seek help when you need it for household chores(if someone is willing to do this awesome, if not pay someone!), getting groceries, having someone watch the baby while you take a nap (even if that means getting in your car and driving to a nearby parking lot to get a car nap – yes, been there done that!), or ask if you have friends if they mind donating their leftovers to your family (which they might be appalled and insist on cooking you a meal).
If you are overwhelmed and feel like you are losing your mind, seek help. Do you know how many people that have been pregnant go through depression at some point? 100% of them. Ok Ok. That’s not exactly scientific, but I don’t know one friend or family member that hasn’t had depression after birthing their baby. I mean, come on, you just pushing a human being into the world. That’s gotta mess us up a bit in the head for a while, right?! SEEK HELP if you depression is more than you can bear. Or maybe you can just “take it”? Nope. Seek help. A good starting point could be the Postpartum Support International website.
Thankfully, after my 2nd baby, a brave woman spoke infront of a group of women at a Moms of Preschoolers meeting. She is a pastor’s wife and she told us of her postpartum depression and how she almost committed suicide because of it. Because she stood up and spoke out about it, I am alive today. That week before I had a gun in my mouth ready to pull the trigger but by the grace of God didn’t pull the trigger that time or the other couple times while my kids were playing in their rooms or napping. So please believe me, I understand. Don’t put off seeking help if you are having feelings of depression no matter how minute they may seem and no matter if someone else is telling you to get over it. You deserve to learn how to navigate these emotions and hormonal imbalances and find help from a physician or counselor.
Adjusting Your Lifestyle
It takes a lot of effort and adjustment to become a parent. A new parent has to make many changes to their life, from spending more time with their children, getting used to changes in lifestyle, and balancing work and family. In the transition phase, it is important for parents to take care of themselves as well as their child.
For example, they should not only focus on the baby but also try to take care of themselves by switching off constantly. They can do this through healthy sleep habits and limiting screen time so they will be able to function day-to-day. It’s all about finding your feet and what works for you.
Adjusting Your Eating Habits & Exercise
The postpartum period is a time for both physical and mental recovery after childbirth. However, it can also be a time where body image concerns are heightened. The postpartum period is an important time to take care of your health and to begin your fitness routine again.
During the first few months after childbirth, it is crucial that you adjust your eating habits and exercise routine in order to maintain weight gain or lose weight, as well as manage breastfeeding. It’s also important that you are getting plenty of sleep during this time, as sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue, depression, irritability, and disordered eating behaviors. It’s all there to make sure that you’re as healthy as possible.
It is not just about diet and exercise, if you want to stay healthy, you need to take care of your mental health too. If you are struggling with mental health issues, it might be difficult for you to stay focused on your diet and exercise routines. And be sure to speak out if you need help here!
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Adjusting Your Sleep Routine
When a baby does not sleep through the night, parents will need to make adjustments in their sleep routine, which can be difficult to say the least! Parents also need to keep in mind that their own mental health needs will need adjusting too. Some parents choose to let their babies be fussy while getting to sleep; others will rock their babies until they go to sleep. You and your partner will need to decide which approach(es) you might take. It also might require a bunch of trial and error. I think all of parenting requires that! And it multiplies the more kids you have as each one is their own selves. No two kids are exactly alike even twins! So don’t give up or get frustrated when different kids have different dispositions.
It is not always easy to create a sleep routine that is best for your baby. This is because babies have different sleeping needs and can become easily frustrated when their schedule changes. However, good sleep habits will only result in well-rested babies and alert parents.
One of the most effective ways to develop a sleep routine is by starting with nap times. From there, you can make adjustments based on what your baby responds to best. Sleep training for infants has been done in many different ways over the years but it has been proven that giving them control over when they sleep can help them to grow into healthy adults.
Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is an important practice in parenting. For example, it is important for new parents to take care of themselves and take time out for themselves. It will help them to deal with the emotional and physical changes that they go through after becoming a parent. It’s so important to feel good, have energy, be happy,, and just generally be in a good place during this time.
Self-care can be done through activities such as exercising, meditation, taking time out for yourself, getting enough sleep, spending time outside of the house with friends or family members, or just spending time looking into your own values and what you want to prioritize in life.
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If you are feeling down or depressed for more days than not, please seek medical attention. If you are feeling like you cannot go on, please call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or chat here>>> https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ Or visit the suicide prevention lifeline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
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