When will this get easier? Why won't she stay asleep? I'm so freaking tired! When will he sleep through the night?
Does this sound like something you've said, mama? I know I've said it at least a thousand times over, especially when I first became a mom three years ago. Being a mother is probably one of the hardest jobs I'll ever have. Three years and two more babies later, the newborn stage is something I'm all too familiar with. I feel like I've survived my fair share of new mom woes and can offer a word of advice on pushing through the first few weeks that is the newborn stage and make it to the other side.
Me and my girl Celeste of Lessy's World got you covered with 10 tips to make it easier for you to adjust to life with a newborn. She just had the cutest baby boy, Cayden, and is also a mama to her "Little Sugah" Nicholas! I'll be sharing my 5 tips here, but make sure you head on over to Celeste's blog to read her five tips as well.
Adjust Your Expectations // First things first, adjusting your expectations will help prevent a lot of frustration and disappointment in the future. Your life now revolves around your newborn, so you'll have to make adjustments accordingly. Things like your sleep schedule, everyday tasks around the house, scheduling visitors will all have to be shifted. Even your expectations for your baby and what you think he/she should be doing will have to shift. With my oldest, I remember being so disappointed when she a newborn because she didn't sleep through the night by six weeks old like other people's babies. I just wanted sleep! And you know what? She never slept through the night - not until she was almost one years old. Motherhood is a lot of letting go of your expectations and rolling with the punches.
Outsource What You Can // Before my daughter was born, and even before, I knew one of the things I could not do continuously was go out to get groceries every week with three children. The thought of that just screamed trouble, mainly because of my two toddlers who are always on ten. During the newborn stage, and even after, outsource what you can - grocery shopping, laundry, etc... My household uses Instacart just about every single week for grocery deliveries, and it's literally been a game changer. It has given us back about three hours of time in our week. I'm able to communicate with my shopper via the chat about items out of stock, replacements, the quality of the produce, etc.... Instacart has been a Godsend for us, and I recommend giving them a try.
If you're unable to utilize a service like this, see if you have family members who are willing to help you out with grocery shopping for a couple of weeks, doing some of your laundry, or help with cooking meals. It will really take the stress off of you so you can focus on bonding and getting adjusted to life with a newborn baby.
Find Your Rhythm // The first week with your newborn will be quite hectic. For one, you don't get much sleep while in the hospital since nurses come in and out of your room to do routine checks. Add a newborn who cluster feeds and needs to be fed every two hours, sleep is pretty much non-existent. It can take a while to settle into a routine with your newborn, so in the beginning try and follow your baby's lead in terms of their sleeping and napping schedule. Once that's mapped out, you'll find that you're able to schedule your house hold tasks/to-do lists around that. Keep in mind to be very flexible, as newborns are subject to change without warning. As they get older and become more aware of the things around them and what they can do, your newborn who slept three hours for naps may now decide to only sleep for 45 minutes.
Find Your Tribe // The support of a community of people behind you goes a long way. Literally. This time around with my third child, I've connected with so many mamas on Instagram and its literally been a breathe of fresh air knowing that I'm not alone in this motherhood journey. Of course, I have the support of my husband and family, but it's great when you can connect with other moms going through the exact same thing you're going through. They just get you, and really root for you!
Embrace the Season You're In // When the going gets tough, it's easy to become overwhelmed and feel anxious. Your baby might be super fussy and you don't know why. You haven't showered in days. You just want about four hours of solid sleep. Know that this is just a season. The newborn stage does end. Embrace it while you're in it because babies don't stay babies forever. Don't try to rush past the difficult stages, but be hopeful that those hard days will pass and better days are yet to come. Drink your coffee, give yourself a little pep talk, and pray for strength daily until you get through it. This too shall pass.
Remember, the days may seem long, but the years are short and you'll never get these precious moments back. Embrace every high and low of every stage, not just the newborn stage. Let me know in the comments what's helped you when adjusting to the newborn stage. Also, don't forget to head on over to Lessy's World for the remaining five tips.
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