What You'll Need For The First Few Weeks With Your Baby
During your pregnancy, perhaps you have been thinking about how your new life will be when you bring your baby home. The reality, of course, is that you will need patience to get used to life with your baby. The first few weeks with a newborn are anything but simple.
However prepared you feel, and however much you are looking forward to bringing your baby home, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you get through those first few weeks with your little one.
You might get off to a good start, with a speedy recovery and much more energy than you felt over the last few weeks of your pregnancy. And you’ll probably not be able to get the smile off your face when you look at your baby, even if the house is a mess.
You’ll be more interested in taking photos than dusting. That’s normal. You will probably be completely wrapped up in your baby, just as if you were falling in love.
But as the days go by, you might start to feel like things are starting to fall apart. This is the moment to stop and take stock. You will notice that your whole life revolves around breastfeeding or formula feeds, burping, changing diapers, hearing your baby crying and sleeping very little.
You might also realize that your mood is changing, and that from time to time, you need to cry.
It’s not easy – you need help
It doesn’t matter how many children you have had before, or if this is your first born. Whatever you have been planning and preparing beforehand, your life will change, and the first few weeks may not be easy. The first weeks at home with a newborn can be a rollercoaster, both physically and emotionally.
The first thing you need during the first few weeks at home with your baby is to have your best friends and family around you. Those people that are capable of lending a hand without expecting anything in return, who help you out just to make you smile and because you need it.
It might be your mother, your mother-in-law, your best friend, your father or father-in-law, a brother or sister, an aunt… anybody who you know will help you out of the goodness of their heart.
But as well as having these people around you, it is also important to follow other advice, which may make a big difference in the first few weeks with your newborn at home.
Go out
Even if you don’t feel like it, do it. If you can go alone, all the better. The fresh air and the simple act of going for a walk can do wonders for your state of mind. Half an hour’s walk can make a big difference for you.
You are going to spend many hours with your baby, so leave them with your partner or with another trusted adult and go out. Breathe deeply, let nature recharge your energies, and then go back to your baby with a smile on your face.
Other things you’ll need for the first few weeks
There are many things you’ll need for the first few weeks with your baby, but most of them will not be material. You don’t just need clothes, food, a stroller and so on. You have other needs in order to get through those first few weeks. Take note.
- Go out to eat and enjoy having a meal cooked for you
- Ask a family member to cook and freeze meals, so you always have something ready
- Take a hot bubble bath
- Take care of yourself and enjoy yourself
- Watch your baby sleeping
- Take care of your relationship with your partner