There are few times in any person’s life more exciting than the arrival of their first baby. When that day arrives, you probably find yourself wrapped up in a whirlwind of excitement, confusion, stress, and euphoria. You’re probably going to find yourself feeling plenty of things that you’ve never felt before. You’re going to be amazing that you could love something so much but you’re also going to find yourself worrying more than you ever thought possible as well. Sadly, that’s just something that you’re going to have to get used to. Part of being a parent means coming to terms with the fact that you’re always going to be just a little bit worried about your baby all day long. And most of the time there’s no reason to worry at all, and you can just get on with enjoying your time together. However, there are plenty of occasions where parents panic and feel as though something is seriously wrong. However, there are plenty of occasions where the cause of that panic really isn’t that much of a big deal. In order to help you avoid feeling more stressed than you already are, here are a few incredibly common issues that might crop up with the new baby that is likely to leave you panicking, but really shouldn’t.
Fussy feeding
Trying to feed a baby at any stage in their development can be a seriously stressful experience. It’s the kind of thing that can start from birth as well. Many mothers end up feeling incredibly anxious if they’re not able to breastfeed perfectly right away. There’s so much stigma around it that it can lead a lot of women to feel as though they’ve already failed as a mother or that there’s something wrong with them. THIS IS NOT TRUE. It’s incredibly important that you understand that there is nothing wrong with having trouble breastfeeding. It’s an incredibly common issue, and there are plenty of things that you can do about it. It might simply be a matter of patience and letting things run their course, but you might also decide that it’s best to switch your baby to formula from a bottle. Don’t let anyone tell you that there’s something wrong with formula feeding, it’s specifically designed to have all of the nutrients that your baby needs and exists to help mothers who are struggling to breastfeed. There’s nothing unnatural or unsafe about it, and there’s nothing wrong with you for needing to use it as the method of feeding your baby. Plus, it offers you the chance to share feeding duties between both parents incredibly easily.
Nightmare bedtimes
If there’s one thing that can leave a lot of parents pulling their hair out when they have little ones, it’s bedtime. For some parents, it can feel like an absolute breeze. They put their little ones down and then just walk away for the rest of the night. However, for many other parents, it can be a battle of wills that can last for hours. Luckily, you’re not alone. Plus there’s the stress of accidents in the night waking your little one up as well. Few things are more stressful than having to clean your sheets at one in the morning. Something like a Newton Baby waterproof crib mattress pad can make sure that your baby is comfortable and that accidents aren’t going to cause huge problems. Sure, it won’t solve all of your sleeping problems, but it makes a difference.
Screaming tantrums
There are few things in life that make you feel like you’ve failed as a parent than when your baby just won’t stop screaming. You’ve tried everything: feeding, burping, playing, napping, singing, dancing, driving in the car, everything, and nothing has made even the slightest bit of difference. The most important thing to remember is that this is completely normals. There is nothing wrong with you or your baby. This is just something that happens sometimes. Sometimes babies will cry because they want or need something, and sometimes they’ll cry for seemingly no reason whatsoever. It’s important to remember that if it feels like things are getting too much for you, you can just set them down in their crib and leave the room for a while. It can be tough to listen to your baby cry in the other room, but it’s not going to do them any harm, and it will prevent you from going completely insane. Plus, as stressful as it might be, the moment that they stop and give you a big smile you’ll forget all about it.
Development speed
Having as much clear information about your baby can be incredibly useful. It can let you know which things to look out for and what things are normal, as well as giving you an idea of how your child is developing. However, one issue that it can cause is that a lot of people end up panicking when their baby doesn’t perfectly line up with developed expectations that they have for them. It’s crucial that you remember that all development milestones are vague estimates. Just because your child isn’t walking or talking or doing anything else at the same speed as other babies, that doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with them. In reality, most of the time those kinds of things make no difference whatsoever to your child’s future development.
Being a new parent can be scary a lot of the time. The old saying that kids “don’t come with an instruction manual” might be a serious cliche, but it’s also incredibly true to the experience of trying to take care of a baby for the first time. In the exact same way that they’re learning to understand the world around them, you’re learning how to take care of them. So cut yourself some slack. Sure, you’re not going to be the perfect parent, because no one is! And sure, you’re probably going to make a few mistakes along the way, but that’s just a natural part of life. The best thing that you can do is just to try and relax and enjoy the experience of taking care of your little one as much as possible. Over time you’ll find that you get better and better at being a parent and it will all be second nature to you before you know it.
