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When you get the news that you’re pregnant, you’re overjoyed because it’s something you’ve been waiting for. You and your partner are thrilled and begin to read books, magazines, and mommy blogs to gather information. You make appointments with the doctors and want to be one step ahead of your pregnancy because you only want what’s best for your baby. As the days go by, you cannot help but feel excited for your little one’s arrival. You’ve probably picked out the color of their room, decorated it, bought baby essentials like diapers, napkins, tissues, and other necessary items for the first few months, and even made their cradle ready.
During your baby shower, you were probably even given gifts that were well suited for your little one, like a diaper genie, changing table, or a pretty pram. Now, all you have to do is wait for the day that your baby arrives, so you’re all set to be the parent you’ve been preparing to be. But when that day finally comes, things are different. You feel like you’ve been hit with something you were not prepared for — it’s overwhelming and chaotic. But it’s absolutely normal to feel this way. Here are a few things that every parent of a newborn should learn to do and not feel guilty for it:
1. Embrace The Chaos
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Before you know it, your newborn has already taken over your life. You might be the most organized person you’ve met before, but with a newborn around, it’s nearly impossible for things to go on smoothly. With the feeding, changing, and sleeping cycles, you try to grab on to what little time you have to sleep, eat, and shower. The best thing to do is to embrace the chaos and own it.
2. Eat The Carbs
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You might be thinking about getting back in shape and trying to follow a diet. But don’t! Amidst all the chaos, exhaustion, and sleepless nights, the last thing you want is to feel weak. You need the energy you can get to get used to the new grind. So, eat those carbs and enjoy your meals. You have time to get back in shape, and that time is not now.
3. Seek Help
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Everyone who has ever had a newborn knows that it’s chaotic and challenging. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. Time is a luxury for every new parent, so even the smallest help will seem big. Ask your trusted friends to make a trip to the baby store or watch your baby while you take a nap. They can also send you some home-cooked meals, so you can save time cooking.
4. Limit Your Guests
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Now with the pandemic, this one is a given. But even during pre-corona, your threshold to entertain guests is low when you have a baby. And you don’t have to feel guilty about it. The little time you get for yourself when your baby sleeps, you’ll want to spend doing your chores and getting some rest. So don’t be afraid to let them know that you need the time.
5. Don’t Apologize
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Taking care of your baby is your priority. You might have a messy house or might not have time for your friends, but you don’t have to apologize for it. A newborn baby takes a lot of time and commitment, so your friends and family will understand if you don’t have time for them, can’t make it to family functions or birthdays, or aren’t available for any group calls. Don’t apologize. Just keep rocking on.
6. Manage Your Time Better
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You might be someone who is efficient in everything you do and always seems to be on top of things. However, having just delivered the baby, you probably would find it hard to do it all. If you try to do it all haphazardly, chances are you will scramble to get many things done. That’s why it is important that you plan out your days or even weeks in advance. This will help you keep track of things that need to be done. It will also let you know which tasks you have already completed and feel good about them.
7. Let Your Partner Handle The Chores
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Taking care of a baby is a full-time job and if you don’t have friends and relatives around to help you out, you’ve got to ask your partner to help out with the household chores. After childbirth, a female body is still in recovery mode and requires ample rest. Partaking in hard physical work can prove to be detrimental to her recovery. Paternity leaves are something corporates have given green signal to and new fathers should not hesitate to utilize them.
8. Don’t Forget To Rest
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Amidst the rush and excitement of raising your little one, new parents often tend to forget about taking some much-needed rest. It’s common to see doting new parents being overzealous and tiring themselves out in the process. Yes, your baby does need to be taken care of and you need to do everything you’ve been doing. But try to do that at a more relaxed pace. Remember that your body needs rest no matter what the responsibility is. So plan out your days with your partner so that both of you can catch some much-needed sleep and rest. Try to squeeze in a few hours into your hobbies and thus rejuvenate yourself. If needed, take help from friends and family members. A rejuvenated you would be better equipped to handle responsibilities than a tired one.
When you have a newborn, your life changes drastically, and it’s okay to be in survival mode until you figure it all out. No one embraced parenthood overnight. There is a learning curve to it, and it comes with time and experience. Therefore, embrace the days when you’re in survival mode because before you know it, your kids will be ready to leave the nest, and you might be wishing for these golden days. How did you survive the chaos after your newborn was born? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
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