Wow, this is harder than you expected right? It’s ok, everyone feels that way with a newborn baby. Regardless of if you are a first-time parent, or already have an army of children, the newborn stage is the most stressful for so many reasons.
To add to the pressure, newborns often do not wake up on their own to feed as they are so little and sleepy. Like most parents, you are probably sitting by the cot, looking at the little baby to make sure they are happy. But what about you? After all, a happy parent means happy baby.
Looking after your needs is just as important as looking after your little one and because of this, we have put together a list of things you can do to keep you and baby happy. enjoy!
Table of Contents
Keeping Mommy and Daddy Happy
1.Me Time
Do something that makes you happy. That might be taking a nice long shower every morning, while your partner feeds the baby, or it could be going to the salon once a week to get your hair blow-dried. Whatever your ‘me time’ activity is, schedule it in daily or weekly to keep your spirits up.
2. Parent – Baby Bonding
Skin to skin bonding is scientifically proven to improve the bond between a parent and their baby. This can be done during feeds, regardless of if you are breastfeeding or not. Dads can get involved in this too, just take your shirt off and have babies belly bare so that they can feel your skin on theirs.
3. Little Hobbies
As trivial as it may sound, keeping yourself occupied between feeding and changing the baby will really perk you up. Try doing things that have some sort of positive reward at the end like baking a cake or making cookies.
I really like planting flowers and plants from seeds, you get to spend just a little bit of time every day watering them and every day the plant gets stronger and stronger. Try growing cacti or succulents from seeds, they are the least demanding, so if you forget to water them then it is all good! If that sounds like something up your street, follow the easy guide.
Keeping Baby Happy
Your baby doesn’t need much more than food and comfort in their first three months of life. Use this checklist to ensure your baby has everything they need.
1. Food Every 3 Hours
If your baby hasn’t fed for the last three hours, wake them up gently for a feed. Newborns may not wake up on their own when they are hungry, so make sure you are on top of their feeding.
2. Clean Diaper
Check they have a clean diaper, change them before a feed to get them awake and ready to eat.
3. Not Too Hot Or Cold
The room should be about 22 to 23 degrees celsius for the baby to be comfortable. If it is above or below this temperature, turn on the heating or air conditioner to change it.