This is a collaborative post
Becoming a parent for the first time is the most magical thing in the word, however, it can be the most overwhelming feeling at the same time. You wait so long to meet your little bundle of joy that you feel ready to meet them, then when they arrive a combination of hormones and emotions can be a little too much and everything you thought you were ready for can become very daunting.
There are lots of tips for new parents and in this post, I am going to share a few things that I found helped me out through the new journey. Everyone’s journey is different and what may work for me, might not be what works for you. It is all about finding your own ways to approach the changes that you have.
- Trust your instincts – Sometimes you may feel that something is not quite right, get it checked out. Don’t sit back and think you are just overthinking something. If you are breastfeeding for example but feel like it’s not quite working, reach out to someone for help and advise.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help – There is no shame in asking for help, whether it be just for someone to help look after your new baby whilst you have a shower or for someone to pick you up some milk so you can have a cup of tea. Reach out to someone, it is important to know that you can do so.
- Get prepared – Having a newborn baby is hard work, there will be sleep deprivation, recovery from the birth and so much more just find that time is not something you have. One thing you can do in the final weeks pre-baby is starting getting yourself prepared, bulk cook some meals and pop them in the freezer ready for easier evenings when the baby arrives. Take time out to declutter anything you no longer need, one less thing to worry about later,
- Accept things won’t be the same again – If your house used to be spotless before children, now is the time to accept it won’t be going forward! With shortness of time and energy, especially in those first few weeks, it is important to prioritise where to start. I remember the first few weeks after having Kayleigh, both Daddy Vs Work and I really struggled to find a new routine. Sleep deprivation kicked in and it was tough. Work out what needs to be done when and then share the load. You can always clean your home round naps and other things, it’s not essential, however, having clean clothes is! So if it means the only thing you do is get a wash on for the day, then that is a great achievement. I put far too much pressure on myself to try and make our house look “respectable” when we had visitors after having our first. The reality was people were not interested in the state of our home at all. Aroma Care has some great tips on how to clean your home after you’ve had children.
Looking back I wish I had taken a little of the pressure off myself, cleaned a little as I went along so as I was sorting the bottles out, I could have cleaned down the kitchen side. Whilst Kayleigh was happily lying in her Moses basket I could have just quickly dusted down the house around the time. Instead, I spent ages whilst sleep-deprived trying to make my house look like I didn’t have a baby and I was not sleep deprived when none of that really mattered! All it was doing was adding to my own stress levels.
You are about to embark on this most amazing journey, don’t let things that are completely irrelevant take away from the amazing time you are about to have. After all, it wont be long until you are where we are in our journey and finding out way through the pre-teen years!
