Tips for Moms - The First Week with Your Newborn

June 3, 2022

Becoming a new parent is one of life's most exciting, rewarding, and stressful times. The first few days with a newborn are full of rapid changes in emotions and sleep schedules. Having support from family and friends, knowing what to expect, getting plenty of rest when your baby sleeps and having realistic expectations can help you feel more prepared.

Check-in With Your Emotions

Don't be surprised if you find yourself experiencing a wide range of emotions in the first week. If you're particularly anxious about how things are going, it's okay to ask for help from loved ones and professionals. This can help with both mental and physical recovery, which will make it easier to feel confident as a new parent with each passing day. As your baby gets older, they'll continue developing their motor skills and grasping reflexes, but try not to get discouraged if they don't crawl right away or walk by nine months old. Every child is different; just remember that every step counts towards them becoming more independent and socialized with the world around them.

Get Help

If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't worry. It's completely normal to feel this way. The first few weeks with a newborn are incredibly intense and can be overwhelming for even the most well-organized parents.

There are many ways to get help during this time:

Get help from family, friends, and other new parents. Your partner may not always be available when you need them, and that's okay, so it may be helpful to ask for support from others who can lend a hand or take over when your partner is unavailable or tired. If no one else is available, there are plenty of apps designed especially for new parents that offer advice on everything from how much sleep you’re likely getting each night (hint: less than an hour) to how often you should burp your baby before bedtime (hint: every two hours).
Ask for help from your pediatrician or doctor if things start getting difficult with breastfeeding (or if it isn't going well at all), as they will have resources available such as lactation consultants who specialize in helping mothers breastfeed their babies successfully after delivery; postpartum doulas who provide hands-on care like cooking dinner while Mom rests; postpartum therapists who specialize in treating moms suffering from PPD/PPDR symptoms like anxiety attacks and depression; etcetera ad infinitum ad nauseam.

Watch for Signs of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

The first week with your newborn is a whirlwind of new experiences, emotions, and responsibilities. You’re exhausted, you may be sleep-deprived, and you definitely feel like you can’t catch up to the curve of caring for an infant. If any of these feelings are familiar to you right now, know that postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety are very real things that many moms experience after having a baby. It’s not just “baby blues;” it can be debilitating and make it hard to take care of yourself or your family, but there are resources available if this happens to you.

If any of the following signs sound familiar, talk with your health care provider about getting help:

Sadness
Feeling overwhelmed most days
Trouble sleeping or poor appetite
Feeling down more than usual despite having plenty in one's life

Eat Right, Drink Plenty of Fluids, and Rest Up

It's easy to get carried away with all the things you want to do and see in the first few days after your baby arrives. But taking care of yourself is important, too. Eating right, drinking plenty of fluids, and resting up is essential for you both during this time.

First things first: how much should you eat? That depends on your appetite, you should try to eat small meals often throughout the day instead of feeling hungry and overeating at one sitting. As far as drinks go, water is best. It's also important not to dehydrate or overhydrate yourself during this period because it can pose risks for both moms and babies; keep a close eye on how many ounces (oz) of fluid you're consuming each day so that you don't become either under-or overhydrated (the latter being more common).

Resting up isn't always easy when there are so many things going on around you, but getting enough sleep will help ensure that both mom and baby are healthy while they adjust to their new routine. If possible ask friends/family members if they can take turns watching over your child while he/she sleeps so that his/her needs aren't neglected while yours are being met by others who know what they're doing when it comes down right now only thing matters...

Figure Out Your Baby's Sleep Schedule

The first week with your newborn is a busy time. One of the most important things you can do during this time is figuring out your baby's sleep schedule so that you have time to take care of yourself and your family as well. Newborns need to be woken up every 2-3 hours for feeding, burping, and diaper changing. They also need to eat every 2-3 hours in general. This means that if you want to get any sleep yourself, you will probably be spending at least half of each day tending to your newborn's needs.

Celebrate Every Milestone

The first week with your newborn will go by in a flash. You’ll be so busy meeting the needs of your new little one that you may forget to stop and celebrate some of their milestones. Don’t worry, this is completely normal.

As long as you are feeding and changing your baby regularly, don't worry about getting every milestone perfect. If it's been 10 minutes since the last time you fed them, don't panic, give yourself a break. Celebrate any milestone, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem at the time. It will take some time for things to settle down into the routine that works best for your family, but celebrating every step along the way will help make those early days easier on everyone involved.

Becoming a new parent is one of life's most exciting and stressful times. Getting lots of support and knowing what to expect can help.

You will have many questions, so ask your baby’s health care professionals and partners for information. You may also find it helpful to ask other parents.

Your partner can be an important source of support during this time, but he or she may need some time alone as well so take care not to exclude him or her completely if you are feeling overwhelmed with all the changes in your life right now.

There is no magic formula that will make this easier for you, but being patient with yourself and your baby will make it easier over time

Conclusion

Congratulations on your new bundle of joy. If you've just gone home with a newborn, then you're probably both exhausted and overwhelmed. The good news is that things are only going to get easier from here. For example, once you've mastered the basics of caring for your baby’s needs such as feeding and changing diapers as well as bonding with them through touch/smell/sound, it will be time to start establishing a routine that works best for your entire household. While this can be challenging at first (especially if everyone isn't onboard), don't hesitate to seek professional help if necessary because parenting doesn't have an instruction manual or set rules. Plus, remember that all babies develop at different rates so what works for one may not work for another.