When you have a newborn, you have just signed up for a lifelong change. Of course, motherhood is bliss, but it takes some time to get used to that role. The experience you get from it is mixed. You will enjoy watching the cute smile and the cuddles you get from your baby, you will also feel overwhelmed at some point, but don’t worry, such a feeling is normal.
It takes work to understand and care for a child. But it would help if you devise ways to make things easier for you. Asides from the baby, you, as a mother, also need care.
Be Flexible
As a new mom, your first year of parenting can be a year of discoveries. And your baby will also take time to adapt to a new environment. To fully understand your bundle of joy, it will take some level of patience and several guesses.
Babies have similarities, and they generally want attention. But they also have their uniqueness. They have ways they communicate what they want. You should allow your baby to teach you how to care for her, instead of introducing different methods you hear from people. As you nurse your baby, you will learn different ways to attend to your child’s needs. You need to figure out when your baby is hungry and how to breastfeed her, when she is not comfortable in a position when the diapers need to be changed, and so on.
Plus, as the baby grows older, there will also be changes. So don’t be rigid. Be flexible enough to detect changes and create ways to accommodate these changes.
Help Your Baby Bond With The Dad
It is normal to get too attached to your baby so much that you forget you also need your time alone. So allow your spouse to also spend time with the baby. Dads hold babies differently; they have their unique ways of playing with babies that babies enjoy. Besides, it is also a way to create a bond between them.
Allow the dad to change the diapers or bathe the baby. Feed her well and give them time alone together. If you decide to stay with them, ensure the baby does not see you or hear your voice. Allow the dad to fix things even when the baby cries. He will figure out what to do. This process will allow your child to learn to be without you. You will leave her with family members or a nurse, which could mean relief when you need it.
Crib Comfort
Babies naturally love the warmth they get from their mom while they fall asleep. You should put your baby in the bassinet early enough to help your baby sleep for long periods. Don’t let her get used to sleeping in your hands because that could deprive you of sleep and getting things done. When you put your baby in a bassinet, the baby can learn to play alone while the bassinet rocks her.
If you notice she wakes up immediately, you put her in the bassinet. You can warm a blanket in the dryer and place it in the bassinet. This is a way to substitute warmth.
Employ A Nurse
Nursing a baby alone can be overwhelming because, aside from the mother, the father might not always be there to help the mother care for the child. However, A helping hand can make a big difference. The mother needs time to recover from childbearing. The mother needs time to eat, sleep and rest. And at the first stage of the child, the child will do a lot of crying and want to breastfeed. And will even stay awake in the middle of the night.
Although the connection between the mom and the baby creates a bond with the mom, the help of a nurse will always help the mom have her time to rest and get other things done. This would also allow the child to get used to another person other than the mom.
Keep Your Baby Awake During Feedings
Babies enjoy sleeping while they are feeding. But that sleep is not usually deep. They don’t sleep for long that way. And that is because they get to enjoy sound sleep only when they are full. Make sure you keep your baby awake while eating, and a way to do that is to massage her cheeks gently.
This will keep her awake and make her eat faster. When you know she is well-fed, then you can lay her in her bed, and you will have your time to rest as well.
Usually, mothers focus more on their babies and forget about themselves. Cut yourself some slack and get some care too. If you apply these tips, you will take good care of both your baby and yourself. Babies are adorable, and no doubt, your life will change both physically and emotionally, but you will love every bit of motherhood.
