PARENTING By Sarah Lyons
8 Don’t Sweat it Tips for New Parents
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aving a baby is one of the most exciting and anticipated moments in a parent’s life. You have prepared the nursery, installed the car seat, read parenting books, and it’s time to bring your baby home and start life with a new family member. While having a new baby is a fun and exciting time, it also can be exhausting and overwhelming. Adjusting to having an infant at home takes time and there are several things you don’t need to sweat as you figure out your new normal. Here is a list of eight things that aren’t worth stressing over while you enjoy time with your new baby.
I had something to put in the oven or crock pot when I was tired from taking care of a newborn,” said Wendy Haviland, mom of two. You also can ask friends to set up a meal train where family and friends bring dinner during the first few days after the birth of your baby. This will eliminate the need to shop and cook when you are recovering.
1. Housework It’s nice to have a house that is neat and clean but the thing about housework is that it never goes away. Once you get the house clean, it’s messy again. While you enjoy your new baby, try to let some of the cleaning go. Do the bare minimum while you rest, recover, and recuperate from birth and snuggle your newborn.
3. Spoiling baby When I first became a mom I was warned that I shouldn’t hold my newborn too much or while he was sleeping because it might “spoil” him and then he would never sleep in his own bed or let me put him down for a few minutes. This simply is not true. There is no such thing as a spoiled baby. Newborns sleep most of the day and they find great comfort in being held. It also creates a strong bond between parent and child. There is no such thing as sleep training a newborn or spoiling a new baby. Enjoy as much cuddle time as you care to and let that worry go.
2. Cooking Immediately after bringing home baby is not the time to cook elaborate meals or, sometimes, any meals at all. However, you do need to eat regular and nutritious meals, so keep it simple. Stock the pantry with items that are quick and easy to eat while you care for the baby. “I prepared freezer meals before the baby was born so
4. Naptime There is one old saying that is true – “sleep when the baby is sleeping.” This really is the best advice you will receive. As a person that likes to keep busy, I found it hard to allow myself to take naps during the day. Once the exhaustion of being up most of the night nursing my newborn hit me, I decided to give myself permission
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NEAPOLITANfamily • March 2020
