Every new parent wants to follow the newborn baby blueprint to help them navigate the struggles and stress of having their first child. However, all children are unique, so any all-encompassing blueprint may not work universally.
And this is often enough to cause some stress. Compound this with the stress you’re already feeling, and you might think it’s too much. Parents will feel overwhelmed if they don’t know how to handle the stress of a newborn, which is why this advice is crucial.
Assign Responsibilities
From nighttime duties to ensuring the baby bag is packed before going out the door, there are plenty of tasks you and your partner need to arrange with your newborn. It isn’t fair if only one person takes control, so agreeing to share the load will go a long way toward easing stress. Although you both still need to be on, it gives one time to test and recharge while the other deals with the baby. This lets them feel ready to take on their responsibilities when the time comes.
Be Prepared For Challenges
If you are blessed with a newborn who sleeps through the night immediately, don’t start celebrating yet. While your child might seem perfect right now, there is the chance that things change. Sleep lacks rhyme and reason, especially around the four-month mark. If this sounds familiar, you can get plenty of advice from the 4-Month Sleep Regression: Your Survival Guide Is Here to learn what is happening and how to overcome this challenge.
Seek Advice
There are other challenges you and your partner may encounter, too. Even though all babies are different, there could be a few scenarios that other new parents have encountered. Friends and family – as well as online forums and communities – are all valuable resources for seeking advice. You can also use this advice to help share the load. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break and letting the grandparents look after your baby for a few hours, and they can even report back about anything they notice.
Don’t Try to Maintain Perfection
Trying to look after a baby, keep yourself put together, and keep the house clean seems like an impossible task, and that’s because it almost is. Still, your child doesn’t care if you let the dishes pile up or forget to vacuum for a few days. Furthermore, any visitors you might have will understand and they might even be happy to take some of the load for you while you focus on being a parent. Once you accept that your home won’t be a picture of perfection for a few months at the very least, you will feel better about ignoring everyday housework.
Get Out of the House
Spending all your time in your home can make you antsy. You’re surrounded by the same scenery (and mess) for hours at a time, and it feels like you can’t go anywhere. But, getting out of the house can be just what you need to ease stress and also help your newborn calm down if they are crying or having a wobble. Take a walk around the neighborhood, run some errands, or take a break at a park or nature area. The fresh air and chirping birds can calm you and help you refocus your energy where it matters most. What’s more, you can get some exercise that you’d otherwise miss, allowing you to squeeze in some activity.
Speak to Your Employer
Besides caring for your child, you also need to think about your options regarding work. While you may have been allowed some time off towards the end of the pregnancy and during the early weeks of your child’s life, there will be an expectation for you to get back to the office on both sides. However, childcare can be expensive, especially if you and your partner do not work at home. You can speak to your employer about bringing a baby into the office and checking protocols or look into other options. Hopefully, your employer will be as accommodating as possible to ease the stress of juggling a career and a newborn, and it always helps to ask what they think about your situation to gauge your options.
Handling Stress
Parental stress with a newborn is natural, but that doesn’t mean you should succumb to it entirely. These stress-busting techniques may sound obvious, but when you have a million other things to remember, they can make it much easier to overcome the stress and changes you feel when caring for your child and make the most of their early few months.
