By Suann Bidwell, Owner of The Bidwell Group
Sleep is something a lot of people take for granted, that is until you are really sleep deprived! New moms seem to suffer the most. As a mom to 3 boys, I have made all the typical new moms mistakes when it comes to getting the baby to sleep and getting some shut eye for myself. I have learned a few lessons along the way and hopefully you will benefit from a few of my tips.
- First and foremost, follow the rule that everyone tells you, but no one listens to. Sleep when the baby sleeps! Everyone says they are going to do it and no one does. Forget the dishes, the laundry, and vacuuming the house. You just spent nine months waiting for your angel to arrive, he or she is finally here and there is no way in these early months to do all you were doing before they arrived, take care of a newborn, and clean a house on no sleep. I learned this the hard way, I tried to keep up, and just ended up exhausted, bags under my eyes, and endless chores half done. Trust me, sleep when the baby sleeps! You will be much happier and feel better!
- Accept help. Everyone loves a new baby, and now is the time to say yes to your friends and family that want to bring you dinners, offer to take your older kids to the park for a few hours, or even help you with the housework! After trying to do it all with my first baby, and failing miserably at trying to be super mom, I relented after the next baby came along. My wonderful mom cleaned my house, one of my neighbors cooked my family dinner for a week, and I had friends who offered to bring us food when they came to visit. It was wonderful!
- Pace yourself with guests & obligations. In the early days, you are so tired and everyone wants to come see your new baby. Pace yourself, and the visits. Trust me on this one, you are going to be tired, not feel like getting in the shower, and definitely not wanting to dress up and put on makeup for guests. Now I am not saying don’t have close family or friends over, just that you can end up having guests over every day if you don’t learn to say, “how about next week” to a few people. Just pace yourself, don’t feel guilty, you just had a baby! You need to take care of yourself, so you can take care of the baby!
- Cut yourself a break. Take things slow, you and your baby are bonding, every day will be different. Some days will flow smooth, others will be so tiring you will start to think,”how will I get through this?”. Trust me the hard part will pass! Don’t put unrealistic expectations on yourself, this is the time to enjoy your baby, they are only small for a short time. Take tons of pictures, they change so much week to week. Don’t worry about the post baby weight gain, it will come off! Sleep when the baby sleeps, try to eat healthy, and if you are up for it take the baby for a walk. I found that taking the baby for a walk in the stroller for 30 minutes 4 days a week made me feel more human. If you can’t get out due to weather, try a post- baby workout DVD, something to get you moving, you will feel better. Just take it slow.
- Baby’s crying. Yes, we all know how a crying baby can frazzle the best of us. Remember, your baby can’t speak, so crying is the only way they can communicate with you. You will see how they have different cries; the “I am hungry cry”, “I am overtired cry”, “I want to be picked up & be close to mommy cry”. After a bit, you will start to notice the difference, and won’t get stressed. Keep them on a good schedule, or should I say, they will dictate the schedule to you! If you are breastfeeding, expect to be up every 2 hours, if bottle fed they generally go a little longer. Every baby is different, the key is to keep a consistent schedule with feedings and sleeping. Happy baby, happy mom!
- Meet up with other parents with newborns. You are not alone in this. Other parents are experiencing the same challenges and fears of a new baby. Getting together with other parents will help you and your significant other in many ways, and you will have some fun!
Hope you found these tips helpful. The Bidwell Group offers new mom/parent support services. We also have Gift Certificates available, they make great shower gifts, or new mom gifts! Give the gift of time to someone in need. Check out all our new mom/parent services at www.thebidwellgroup.com