Whether you’re a first time parent, or you’re becoming a mom or dad for the second (or third!) time, you have plenty of exciting, new adventures to look forward to. Even if you’ve already experienced the wonders of parenthood before, no two children are ever the same, and there’s always going to be something new for you to discover and share with your family.
Of course, with a new baby on the way, there is just so much preparation for you to do, from ensuring you’ve got enough diapers to last you through the first few weeks, to picking out the perfect name that none of your friends have chosen too, the list really is never ending. As doting as your friends and family are at first, eventually there will come a time when you will find yourselves having to cope alone, and at times, things can may seem a little overwhelming, after all there are only so many hours in a day, and that pile of washing that’s been mounting up to twice your height, just won’t wash itself.
Plan Plan PlanÂ
Planning pre-arrival may seem a little like you’re jumping the gun a little, but quite honestly, planning is one of the only real ways to help prepare yourself what lies ahead. Ensure you put together a plan of action for when you get home from the hospital and how you want your baby’s routine to go. Although you unfortunately cannot plan your newborn’s sleeping and eating habits – if you’re lucky they’ll sleep through the night with just one or two feeds, you can plan the other bits and pieces surrounding both their and your life. If nothing else, having a plan written down can make you feel as though you have some control over the situation.
Support Your Partner and Learn to Laugh
Bringing home a new born is no walk in the park. In fact, it can be nothing short of stressful, and at times you are going to want to shove your little one’s pacifier in your partner’s mouth, just to get two minutes to yourself to think. As tempting as this may seem, don’t do it, instead stop, breathe and learn to laugh. Just because the baby has been sick down your last clean top, does not mean the situation’s not hilarious. Take it in turns to sleep, do night feeds and generally work with each other to make this work. After all, the two of you worked together to create this wonderful little life, so why not enjoy it?
Consider Hired Help
As prepared as you think you are, there is bound to be something you’ve forgotten, unfortunately, with a new born baby to care for, it’s not always going to be practical for you to pop out to the shops, or to give the house a quick hovering. Although it may not be something you’ve considered, there is help available, not in the form of costly nannies or au pairs, but instead in the form of home maternity assistance. Companies such as Nursing Personnel offer home help who have services ranging from maternity nurses providing 24 hour cover to daily assistance which allow you to enjoy those precious early days as a family. It’s not just medical assistance on offer, as the nurses and healthcare assistants cover everything from watching baby while you shower or get a little extra sleep, to hovering or dusting your house while you spend time with your new baby. These daily life assistants come with a full CRB check, and are equipped to help with even premature or special needs babies, and are there to take away any strains and struggles and make the early days all about you.
Brought to you by our friends as Nursing Personnel.