8 Important Tips for Moms With a Newborn

The first few weeks of a baby’s life is a miraculous time, but it is also an extremely chaotic time. For both the babies and the mothers, the learning curve is steep, and a lot can go wrong. Newborns are completely reliant on their mothers for nourishment, stimulation, bathing, entertainment, warmth, and just about everything else you can think of to sustain life. In addition to this, newborn babies are perilously fragile.

One hard drop, toy ingestion, or wrong movement of the head can severely injure and even fatally harm a newborn. As if all this wasn’t stressful enough to deal with, newborn babies do not yet have a sleep schedule, resulting in sleep deprivation and emotional fatigue for all closely involved parties. For moms with a newborn, keeping sane and keeping healthy is so important to be the best caregiver, mom, and person you can be. Here are 8 tips to keep in mind to guide you through this challenging period.

1. Accept Help

Though it sounds easier than it is, accepting help is one of the best things you can do as a new mom. It’s only natural to get anxious and feel resistance when other people offer to do things for your baby. Not only that, but the idea of a “supermom” is socially entrenched. This fictional being encourages women to refuse help and instead do everything, perfectly, on their own. Fortunately, in the real world, such a thing doesn’t exist. Getting your sister to clean your kitchen so you can take a nap, or having a friend watch your baby while you shower will save you and your baby in the long run.

2. Take Care of Yourself

With such little time and sleep available to new mothers, personal health and wellness are often the first things to fall behind. This is troubling, as the well-being of mothers often directly correlates to the quality of care provided to the child. Not only that, but neglecting proper nutrition and healthcare can often lead to larger problems going forward. It’s important to keep doctor’s appointments, preventative screenings, and other health-related schedule items to ensure you’re operating at your full capacity, and detect any more serious issues before they get worse. It’s okay to want the best for your newborn- but it shouldn’t be at the expense of your health.

3. Prepare For The Worst

Being prepared has never been quite as important as when you start to co-exist with a newborn baby. To save yourself frustration or panic- always try to plan three steps ahead. This can look like pumping some extra milk to store away, or getting ready for your next feeding directly after you’re finished your last. Prepping for any eventuality, including making a snack or filling a water bottle for yourself, will give you a couple of precious minutes that you will appreciate later on.

4. Ween Early

If you are breastfeeding, but planning on transitioning your child to bottle feeding, it’s crucial that you start to ween them early on. Even if you’re still breastfeeding, you’ll want to introduce your child to the bottle no later than the three-month mark. This will ensure that you’re child will be able to successfully make the switch from breast to bottle. Finding great formula milk for breastfed babies will aid in the transition, and make for a happy baby. This is also true for combination feeding if you’re planning on using a bottle to supplement breast milk.

5. Embrace the Schedule

One of the biggest complaints from new mothers is the lack of sleep. Getting up frequently in the middle of the night, and having to be on high alert throughout the day, can make anyone feel like they’re losing it. Thankfully, the brunt of the sleep disruption will only last for about three weeks before the baby’s schedule begins to regulate. By embracing the craziness and lack of sleep rather than being angry and fighting against it, you may be able to better motivate yourself and regulate your moods.

6. Rely on Dad

No one likes to admit it, but the dad is often one of the most underutilized tools in early childcare. Whether it be distrust from the mother, laziness, or conformity to typical gender roles, many males do not shoulder an equal amount of the work when it comes to raising and tending to their children. With a newborn, however, it is especially important that the father is just as involved in the care. One of the brightest pieces of advice that can be imparted on a new mom, is to put their spouse to work! Not only will it help you and your baby, but it will also strengthen the baby’s father’s bond with their child and make them feel equally involved. 

7. Crib Care

Something that is not typically seen as a number one priority is tending to the crib space for your newborn. Aside from the basic babyproofing and mess-proofing, creating a space that the baby finds comforting and relaxing can save you countless sleepless nights. Adding things like blankets, white noise machines, and even warm water bottles can encourage a baby to sleep in their crib rather than by their mother’s side. By emulating the womb, baby’s will increasingly at ease and more naturally sleepy.

8. Be Positive

The last and maybe most important tip for mothers with a newborn? Be positive! Having a baby is a big deal, and requires a lot of change and a lot of work – but it’s also an amazing thing. Children grow up in the blink of an eye, and being as present and intentional as you can in their early days will pay off later. Treasuring your baby’s first few weeks will leave you with no regrets, and a true appreciation for the miracle of childbirth. 

Motherhood is a pretty special thing, but it can also be stressful. Particularly during the newborn phase, there is so much to think about it can be hard to remember everything you’re supposed to. Being prepared, relying on support systems, carving out time to focus on yourself, weening your baby early, and embracing the madness are just a few ways that you can improve this hectic time in both of your lives. Remembering the tips above, coupled with a positive attitude and a healthy dose of help, will propel you through the rough patches and ensure you and your baby develop healthfully and happily together.