Seven tips
Learn to cut corners
Let the dishes accumulate in the sink and leave the carpets
unvacuumed for as long as possible. Give yourself permission to
set aside as much time as possible for rest and relaxation.
After all, your top priorities at this stage in your life
should be taking care of your baby and yourself!
Stay connected
Keep in touch with the other new parents you met at prenatal
class, and take advantage of the opportunity to compare notes
on your babies' sleeping, eating, and crying patterns.
Accept the realities of parenting a newborn
You might not be happy about the fact that you haven't had a
decent night's sleep since before your baby's arrival, but
you'll do yourself and your baby a favour if you learn to
accept the fact that your life is going to be topsy-turvy for
at least the foreseeable future. Rather than trying to force
your new baby into adopting sleeping patterns for which he or
she simply isn't ready, focus your energies on enjoying this
special time in your lives.
Get out of the house
Nothing can add to your stress level more than being
housebound day after day with a new baby - particularly if he
or she is fussy! Whether you decide to take the baby for a
brisk winter walk or for a leisurely stroll through the mall,
it's important to do whatever it takes to avoid getting cabin
fever.
Don't worry about spoiling your baby
Ignore any well-meaning relatives who warn you against
the evils of "spoiling" your baby. It simply isn't possible to
spoil a newborn. Responding quickly to his cries simply teaches
him to trust the world around him - something that will
ultimately lead to a much happier baby! In fact, a study at
Johns Hopkins University during the early 1970s revealed that
those babies whose cries were responded to quickly cried less
at age one than those babies whose cries were not responded to
quite so promptly.
Discover your baby's likes - and dislikes
If your baby tends to be fussy at a particular time of
the day, try to discover what works best to soothe her. Since
no two babies are exactly alike, you'll be engaged in some
heavy-duty detective work until you discover the techniques
that work best for your baby.
Accept any and all offers of help
This is no time to be a martyr! If friends and family members
express a willingness to pitch in, take them up on their offers
to help. Put them to work taking care of domestic chores like
cooking and cleaning so that you will have more time to relax
and enjoy your new baby.
About the author: Ann Douglas is a bestselling pregnancy and parenting author and mother of four. Her latest books are Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage and Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage. You can find her online at www.motherofallblogs.com.
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