Holding your child for the first time will likely be one of the most joyous experiences in your life, even if it takes a little time to adjust to your new normal.
Yet caring for a baby will cause much upheaval to your lifestyle, as you’ll need to alter your everyday life to suit your child’s needs.
Fortunately, solutions are available to make potential hurdles easier. Keep reading to learn about the biggest new challenges new parents face and the best products and tactics to try.
Sleep Deprivation
According to a recent survey of parents with children under 18 months, many new moms and dads get between five to six hours of sleep per night.
As a result, they might lose an average of 109 minutes of shuteye each night for the first year of their child’s life.
After all, you’ll need to wake routinely to nurse your newborn, respond to their every need, and care for them when they’re unwell.
Unfortunately, sleep deprivation can take its toll on your mood, energy levels, and diet.
For this reason, you must try to sleep when an opportunity presents itself, such as:
- Take turns with your partner for nightly feeds
- Allow your other half to take over to grab a much-needed nap
- Ask a loved one to babysit to catch up on sleep
Also, you can help your newborn drift off by introducing various sleeping aids. Check out Ergobaby’s list of products to help a baby sleep better, such as a hatch nursery light and a canopy humidifier.
Intimacy Issues
Parents’ lives will revolve around their child’s routine. As all eyes will be on your baby, mommies and/or daddies may spend less quality time together, which might cause intimacy issues.
Add sleep deprivation and exhaustion to that, and frustration or arguments may arise.
Protect your relationship by trying to spend more quality time together, which will allow you to feel like a couple and not just parents.
For example, organize a babysitter so you can enjoy a date night, cook a romantic dinner once your baby has fallen asleep, or cuddle up on the sofa with a movie when an opportunity presents itself.
Baby Concerns
Parenthood can cause various anxieties to set in. Your main goal in life will be to care for your child’s every need, which can feel overwhelming.
You may worry about their feeding routine, development, and general safety. Also, you might worry about the future of the world as they grow up.
Unfortunately, there isn’t one product or tactic that can stop you from worrying. It is a natural aspect of parenthood.
However, you can remind yourself that your child is much tougher than you think. Your growing son or daughter will likely fall when running, bump into chairs, and may even deliberately hit their head.
You must strive to keep them out of harm’s way, but a few bumps and bruises can help them learn from their mistakes and become more cautious.
The chances are you’re doing everything right. If you trust your instincts, remove dangers, introduce a nutritious diet, and seek medical help when needed, your child will be healthy, happy, and safe.
