Adjusting to life with a newborn is a huge change and requires a lot of self-sacrifices. Being a mommy to a newborn is beautiful and exciting feeling you have ever experienced.
It is the most incredible feeling, knowing you brought a miracle into the world and you are entrusted to care for this tiny human being, to shower your baby with love and to watch him grow.
Bringing your little bundle of joy home from the hospital is exciting—and overwhelming. Use these tried-and-true tips to make those first few months a little less stressful and a lot more fun.
Here are the 7 Tips to Make Life Easier with a Newborn
1. Finding a schedule
Write out your schedule for a typical day, and try to follow it. Parents who set a schedule every day are happier and less stressed than those who just go with the flow. you should plan activities like waking up, eating, playing, napping around the same time each day to help baby know what to expect and put both of you at ease.
2. Pamper yourself
Every new mom deserves a break. Have your hubby watch the baby and take an hour for relaxing activities like a pedicure, facial or massage. Or go for a much needed night out with a good girlfriend. You’ve just spent nine months creating the miracle of life—you deserve it.
3. Sleep when the baby sleeps
Your typical nights of uninterrupted sleep are no more when a baby comes into the picture, so take each opportunity and take nap when your sleep. If for some miraculous reason you aren’t exhausted when your baby takes a nap, use the extra minutes to take a shower or catch up on a good book. Me-time is priceless in the first few months, so take advantage of every spare minute.
4. Change your baby’s diaper strategically…
Changing the diaper before a middle of the night feeding prevents the baby from waking up too much after a feeding is finished. When the baby wakes up change the diaper and prepare him for sleep immediately following a night feeding. If you change the diaper after the night feeding, the baby may become too awake, making it more challenging for him to fall asleep.
5. Dream Feed
The dream feed is the feeding given to the baby immediately before you go to bed, and it helps prevent the baby from waking up just after moms finally drift off to sleep. Isn’t this the pinnacle of sleep deprivation? You just fall asleep and the baby wakes up. The dream feed can really help your newborn baby sleep for longer while you sleep. Use it until your baby age is 4 months.
6. Learn How to Get Your Baby to Sleep
A great book on getting children into good sleep habits is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Believe me, you’ll want this and it would be best to read up before your baby is born. At about week go through several books trying to find out what was normal and how you could get more sleep.There is loads of conflicting advice out there. But this book is written by a pediatrician specializing in child sleep research and his advice works!
7. Pack extras in your trunk
Yes, you will have a diaper bag with you, but there are times you will forget items. So always keep a bag in a trunk full of “just in case” items such as a blanket, diapers and wipes, a few extra outfits (including a set of pajamas for nights that go later than you planned), and an empty bottle. And pack an extra shirt and pair of pants for yourself.
Loving your baby is the greatest gift you can give your newborn. As you arrive home with your tiny blessing in your arms, I hope you can relax a little and use above list to help relieve some stress. Moments of stress are fleeting, but being a parent is a miracle that lasts a lifetime! You can do it!