Many times moms and dads are so focused on the big day of the baby being born, the idea of baby coming home is overshadowed! Here are 10 tips to make that transition smoother.
1. Limit the visitors for the first two weeks. This is a special time when you are learning to be a parent to this new baby. Limiting the visitors can help to protect your space.
2. If you do have visitors, limit the time they stay there. Let them know they are welcome to stay for about 30 mintues, but if they stay longer you are putting them to work!
3. Put visitors to work! Ask them to put a load of laundry in, clean a bathroom or do some dishes. Every bit of extra help is so wonderful the first few weeks. If they know and love you enough to stay more then 30 minutes, then they know and love you enough to clean your toilet!
4. No sick visitors at all! Remind guests to wash their hands when coming in and let them know if they think they are sick they are not welcome. You can e-mail pictures so they don’t miss out on too much.
5. Have entrance to your house “cost” a meal. A frozen lasagna or a fresh meal brought in is such a small cost to visit your sweet new baby. You will appreciate all the food. I remember being SO hungry after each baby. My easiest recovery was when I had dinners lined up for 3 weeks after my mom left.
6. Keep the lights down at night. When you wake up to feed your baby at night, don’t make it a party. Try not to talk to the baby and definitely keep the lights off. I left a small nightlight on all night, so I wouldn’t’ need a light on to see. This helped my babies figure out day from night pretty quickly.
7. Know the first few weeks you won’t get much done. Hence asking visitors to bring you food and do chores. Even if you don’t have someone to help you, simplify. Do the bare minimum so you can stay rested and have time to get to know your baby. This is where Dad can really step it up a notch and help out with all the things around the house.
8. Set up nursing stations wherever you tend to feed the baby. Have a basket with a snack, bottle of water, book and toy (if you have older kids). Invariably when you sit down to nurse and get all situated you will get either hungry, thirsty or have another child want to be entertained. With a well stocked basket wherever you nurse, you will be prepared!
9. Take care of yourself! Sleep when baby sleeps, eat healthy and ask for help if you need it. The first few weeks after the baby comes you are recovering and you have surges of hormones coursing through your body. Taking care of yourself is going to make your transition to mothering go more smoothly.
10. Enjoy every minute! This newborn time can feel overwhelming, but it is so fleeting. Treasure them sleeping on you and their sweet little smell and cuddliness. Before you know it they will be running around and be too busy for snuggling all day long.
Hopefully following these tips will make the transition smoother. What tips do YOU have to share?
This is a great list. Thank you for sharing! I’m going to send it to a few of my pregnant clients that are nearing their due dates 🙂
Great tips! Especially the get outside, that is so true!
My Top 11 Tips:
1) Sleep when the baby sleeps.
2) Understand that its normal when it takes you 2 hours to get out of the house the first time you attempt to leave.
3) Get help from family, especially mom – she’s been there!
4) Pay ahead of time for a cleaning service for the first month.
5) When hubby has the baby and you get a free moment, take a shower – you’ll instantly feel more normal again!
6) Never be too proud to order takeout.
7) Set up diaper changing stations all around the house.
8) Get outside as soon as you can – even tiny walks to the end of the block with your baby are amazing mood lifters!
9) Drink lots of water.
10) Don’t be afraid to call for help or advice – doctors, nurses, parents, friends, breastfeeding clinics, new baby clinics and more are only a phone call away.
11) Realize that its ok to cry! A slew of hormones, a life altering event and a tiny needy baby are plenty of reasons for you to feel overwhelmed. Its normal and it will get easier!