1. Take everyone’s advice with a pinch of salt. Parental instincts are 99% right. Never go with what others tell you worked for them. Do what you feel is right. Close the books and listen to your baby. Your Mummy instincts are rarely wrong; you just have to listen to them.
2. Breast is best but don’t beat yourself up over it! Breastfeeding can really really hurt and most new mums are unprepared for days and maybe weeks of tortuous pain before the baby can latch on properly.
3. Sleep when you can. Instead of trying to catch up on housework, catch up on sleep instead. You will be sleep deprived for a couple of months so make the most of any time you can to reduce your sleep debt.
4. Don’t ignore your baby blues. They can really be emotionally draining. Talk about it with your midwife or partner and get expert help if necessary.
5. Accept help! Now is not the time be ‘Super Woman’. If your family or friends offer to give you a hand – accept it!
6. Babies are designed to cry! As a new Mum, when your baby just will not stop crying it can feel like you are doing something wrong. But sometimes babies cry for no reason at all. Just know your baby is absolutely normal.
7. Make some time for your partner. A newborn baby is very demanding and often strains relationships. Try and take some time and show your partner some attention.
8. Be flexible and adaptable. Babies dont follow plans or schedules! Going with the flow and taking it easy will be better for you and your baby.
9. The first 3 to 6 months are the hardest. The first 3 months is called the fourth trimester for a reason! It is extremely demanding. Remember it will get easier.
10. Babies don’t need a lot! Don’t feel pressured to buy everything. Half of the things you buy will hardly be used.
11. Each child is unique! Don’t panic if they are a late bloomer. They will eventually meet those milestones.
12. Don’t stress about what you read or hear. Do whatever is best for you and your family. Put down the baby expert books, and listen to your baby and instinct. Every baby, and parenting style is different. So do what feels right to you, not what a book tells you to do. Remember that people have been doing this for years without any expert advice, so don’t overthink it.
13. Enjoy them! They are only newborns once. The days may seem long but the years are fast.
14. Take lots of pictures and videos – you will want to remember these moments.
15. Nobody really talks about what will happen to your body after you’ve pushed a little human out. There will be blood, and lots of it. You will feel pain everywhere. It will hurt! And you have to go through all of this while looking after a baby who wakes up every two hours to pull at your boob. It is hard!
16. Whatever’s happening, good, bad or ugly. It will pass. It really will. No phase will last forever. Your baby will sometimes get baby acne, bump his head, refuse healthy meals and none of it means you are doing anything wrong so just let it go.
17. Parent guilt is very real and insidious, so remind yourself constantly that you’re doing the best that you can and no one’s perfect in order to combat those negative thoughts
18. You can be a parent and ‘you’. Sneak in a few moments of things you like doing when you can. It will make you feel more like yourself and not just a robot for your children.
19. Stock up on cotton wools and wipes. They poop so much and you can never have too much.
20. Parenthood is perfectly imperfect! Also remember, marriages have ebbs and flows and adding children changes many things, especially when you are sleep deprived. But it gets better.
21. You will miss your pre baby life, but at the same time you will have no idea how you managed to live life so far without knowing your baby.
If you need some motivating quotes during those tough times and sleepless nights: get inspired with 39 parenting quotes.
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