There’s nothing harder than those first six weeks at home with your newborn.
You may feel prepared but once you get home it hits you. You will feel unbelievably overwhelmed but there are plenty of things you can do to make it less scary.
Here are some really good tips that will help you survive the newborn phase.
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How To Survive The First Six Weeks With Your Newborn
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Sleep Is On The Top Of The List
Naps. You need to take many naps. Every time your baby goes to sleep you should sleep too.
I know you feel Like you have a ton of stuff to do but just let some of it go. Your body is healing and you cannot function well with little sleep as you well know.
Must Read: The First Hour After Birth, How To Make It Better And What To Expect
What To Expect The First 24 Hours After Birth
And What To Expect The First Week Home With Baby
And if your babies are anything like mine they’ll be up all night for the first few weeks and sleep more in the day. This is very common and very hard on you.
Make sleep a top priority so you can feel your best and your body can heal. This will help ward off any feelings of depression too.
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Prepare For Postpartum Pain
This is a big one. Most mamas don’t prepare for postpartum pain as well as they should.
They prepare for everything else yet leave this out. You’ll be in a good bit of pain that first week or two home and it can be difficult.
But there are some easy things you can do to help. Check out this post right here to learn what you need to do to get ready for postpartum pain.
It will make all the difference in how you feel.
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Take Note Of Your Emotions
Don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed or fall into postpartum depression. This can happen easily if you ignore your own needs.
Your body is experiencing a flood of hormones and it will certainly affect the way you feel.
But there’s a difference in hormonal changes and full-blown postpartum depression.
If you start to feel like you’re going beyond adjusting and the emotions that come with that, then you should talk to someone right away.
Postpartum depression can make you ill and it can also be dangerous so call your doc as soon as you start treading those waters.
Get Help From Your Partner And Family
Getting help from your family and partner are vital to your survival after birth.
This is a time of huge change and adjustment and you’ll need help until you can swing things on your own.
Have your mama stay with you the first week or have your partner take several weeks off work.
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Stock Your Kitchen And Meal Prep Before Baby
You should prepare freezer meals before your baby comes so that you don’t have to spend tons of time in the kitchen.
So when you’re in that nesting stage and you get that sudden burst of energy take advantage of it and prepare and freeze as many meals as possible.
You’ll be glad you did. Here’s a list of 150 freezer meals you can choose from.
Keep Vistors At Bay For The First Several Weeks
Tell your friends and family that you would love for them to come see you but not until the third week when you’ve cleaned up some and feel more like yourself.
Be firm with them. You need your space right now and you don’t want a crowd hanging around unless it’s your mama helping you out as I mentioned before.
They’ll get to see the baby soon enough.
Dry Shampoo Is Your Friend
Those first few weeks it will be hard to make yourself presentable. You’re exhausted and you have a baby to take care of and you’ll hardly have time to take a shower.
Dry shampoo can help make you feel a little less gross. Here’s a good one to try.
I remember before my first baby ten years ago I would shower daily. But that all changed the second my babies were born and to this day I still don’t have time for that nearly as often as I would like.
Have Mom Friends If You Can
Having mom friends you can call will help you feel less isolated. They can answer your questions and lend support.
Or even come and help after the first few weeks are over. Having friends who have been there, done that can be very helpful and studies show that this type of friendship helps ward off depression.
So make sure you have a good friendly support system.
Learn How To Swaddle
Learning to swaddle your baby well will be a great comfort to your child. In the womb, they’re wrapped tight. This brings feelings of relaxation and calmness to your infant.
It will help her sleep better and it will also keep her from startling so much.
Babies have a startle reflex where they throw their arms up in the air often. It’s a normal part of development but it can be disruptive and stress them out so swaddling can help prevent this.
Here’s an awesome video to show you how!
Go For Walks
Getting some sunshine and exercise is just so important during the first six weeks. It will give you energy and strength and make you happy.
Those walks will also help you with the baby weight and that will put you one step closer to feeling like yourself again.
The sunshine is also helpful in getting your hormones back in order and it will help fight those baby blues.
Throw Aside Your Physical Insecurities
It can be easy to look in the mirror and feel bad about yourself during the postpartum period. It happens to every new mom and those feelings can be strong and ugly.
But you need to cut yourself some slack. You just gave birth and your body has been through a lot. You are recovering slowly.
It took nine months for your body to make all those changes and it will take some time after birth to feel like yourself again. You have to respect that.
Don’t rush into trying to get fit again. Allow time to heal and then slowly move back into your fitness.
Eat Well And Plenty
Eating enough good and healthy food is vital to your energy and mood. It’s even more important after you have a baby.
Good food will promote healing and happiness so you’ll be able to function optimally.
Some women start cutting calories right away but this isn’t the best time to start losing the baby weight.
You need to wait a bit and let your body recover, especially if you’re breastfeeding. Cutting too many calories will cause low milk production.
When you’re ready to get back in shape and start eating to lose weight you should take a program like The Postpartum Cure. It will guide you in the right direction, help you restore your pelvic floor, and help you boost your milk supply. Check it out here.
Don’t Forget About Your Partner
Although it may be easy to ignore your partner’s needs as you concentrate on your own recovery and parenting strides, try not to do this.
Your partner goes through a lot after your baby is born too. There’s a lot to adjust to. So take note of his emotions and ask him how he is doing.
Simply connecting with him can be really helpful in letting him know you care.
I hope this all helps in making the first six weeks with your baby just a little bit easier. Rest, relax, and enjoy this special time with your little one.
Best of luck to you and your baby!
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