There are plenty of things to get stressed about when you are a new mum. After all, you have just been through a physically and emotionally taxing experience, and instead of being rewarded with a nice long rest, you get to take on full responsibility for a mini human, full nappies and sleepless nights and all. Luckily, many people have trod this path before you, and you can both learn from and take comfort from their experience. Something you can read more about below.
Sleeping
For mums of a baby under a year, sleep can be a massive issue. This is because not only does Baby not like to keep to a nice, neat 10pm-8am routine, but you have to stay up too! Of course, this is something that can make everything else more difficult, and well as feel a bit isolating for mum, especially if she is doing all the night feed alone.
Happily, there are some tactics that you can use to minimize the stress that this issue can cause. One of the most straightforward ones is to allow yourself to nap when Baby does, something that many mums forget because they are so keen to get on with task around the house.
In fact, as Baby is likely to sleep quite a bit, especially for the first few months, napping at the same time can provide a much-needed break, and the additional rest and recuperation mothers need to feel as good as possible during this time.
Additionally, there are other options as well, and one is to have Baby in a Moses basket or cot in the same room as you during the night. Then you can easily feed them when they wake without having to get out of bed, and further disturb your sleep. Something that can make it a lot easier to get back off again once Baby is done.
Feeding
Next, feeding can also be an issue when you have a new baby. After all, every mother wants to ensure that their little one is getting all the nutrition they require to grow and develop correctly. Sadly, Babies aren’t always as cooperative as we would like them to be when it comes to this.
In fact, there are quite a few problems that new mums can experience including when Baby has trouble latching on to the nipple. Something that can not only make it hard for baby to get enough required nutrition at each feed but also be very painful for mom too.
Happily, there is plenty of advice out there for mums that are struggling with this, including trying different feeding positions and varying the timing of feeds. Some folks also suggest that Babies are less likely to latch onto the after mum has just worked out, so don’t lose hope if your little one is struggling, as there are plenty of things you can try.
Of course, for many mums, the chief concern is that while they are trying to get the hang of a different way of breastfeeding, Baby isn’t getting enough nutrition.
To that end, it may be worth trying out a mixed feeding schedule where you alternate between the breast and bottle. Then you will be able to express milk and bottle feed or use formula, ensuring that your child doesn’t go hungry while still giving breastfeeding a good try.
Development
Do you know what can cause mums a lot of stress when they have a new baby? It’s being overly concerned about the timeline of their development.
Yes, we all know that generally, babies are meant to be able to do certain things at certain times. For example, when they are first born most babies will be able to open their eyes. However, it’s not until a few months have passed that they can legitimately recognise faces, and focus on them.
Then at around the four-month stage, you can expect Baby to start gaining some control over his movement including being able to flip himself over onto his back. Front rolls, on the other hand, are a bit more complicated and so you can expect these to occur around the 5-6 month mark.
It’s also around the 6-month mark that you can expect Baby’s little gnashers to start coming through as well. A stage that is a mixed blessing for many parents, because while it signals they can begin the transition to solid food, teething is often a challenging time and can reset Baby’s sleeping schedule.
However, what mums definitely need to remember here is that all of these stages are guidelines only. In fact, Babies tend to do things at their own pace, when they are ready, and that means if your child hasn’t got to one of the stage above by the time stated, there is no need to panic!
In fact, in most case just relaxing and letting things happen in their own time is the best approach. Although, if you are concerned that they may be a more serious underlying problem such as hearing, or sight impairment it can’t hurt to get your little one checked over by a medical professional.
Your emotions
Guess what, when you have a Baby your emotions will be all over the place due not only to the lack of sleep and massive life changes but the rush of hormones that are associated with labour, postpartum, and breastfeeding too. The critical thing here is to show some compassion to yourself, and not to expect to feel like you did before Baby was born, or in fact any other particular way either!
Of course, such fluctuating emotion can be particularly stressful for mums because they worry that they are not bonding with their baby correctly, or that they are suffering from postpartum depression, or other anxiety disorders.
The critical thing here is to reach out and seek help if you need it. After all, such problems are common after the birth of a baby, and while they may seem like the worst thing in the world right now, can be incredibly manageable. In fact, you can find out more about the types of help you can get here.
Your weight
Wow, as if new mums haven’t got enough on their plates, now they are expected to snap back into shape immediately too! Of course, it is your body, and you have the right to do with it what you will, but do remember that you already have a lot going on as the mother of a new baby.
To that end, if you are keen to lose weight after birth, be sure that you do it in a safe, gradual way. In fact, in many cases, it is essential to get the go-ahead from your medical team before you do any exercise, and also remember that while breastfeeding your body will need up to 500 extras calories a day!
What others think
When you have a baby, you will quickly realize that everyone has an opinion on the right way to do things. Yes, it can be sweet when family members give you the benefit of their experience and show an interest, but there is a very fine line between help and advice, and being overbearing and judgmental.
Also, when strangers on the stress that have clearly never raise a child of their own start to tell you that you are doing it wrong, it can get a little frustrating, to say the least.
Happily, you will soon discover that what anyone else says doesn’t really matter, because it’s you that knows your baby best, and so can decide what work for you both.
In fact, it’s well worth putting some time into practicing your polite nod and smile. Then when Baby does arrive, you can do this and then just carry on with what you are doing, or the options you have chosen without the need to feel any guilt and judgment at all. After all, it’s your Baby!
Going back to work
Finally, when it comes to stress, the modern woman has a double load because not only do we need to adjust to being a new mum that is on call 24 hours a day, but we can also end up worrying about our career while we are away on maternity leave as well.
In fact, for many women, the issue of when to go back to work after having a baby is one they really struggle with. After all, they have worked hard to achieve the standing they have in their current career, but they also want to so what is best for their baby too.
Of course, the critical issue here is that you need to learn to trust your own judgment in this case. What that means is, what worked for someone else isn’t necessarily what is going to work for you, so don’t be afraid to make your own choice in terms of when it even if you go back at all. It can really reduce the stress of it, trust me!
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
