The first thing about pregnancy is – advice. Once news gets out about your pregnancy, you and your partner will be blessed and somewhat irritated by the plethora of advice from people you barely know.
But truth be told, many of these pieces of advice work, and you can’t throw them away — you’ll have to sift through all the information and pick the right one for your baby.
Since you’re here, we can safely assume that you’re either a mother of a newborn or expecting one very soon. We know that in these times, you badly need a proper and realistic guidelines on how to take care of your baby.
For your help, we have come up with a few practical advice for new moms — something that will come in handy at crucial times.
Practical Advice for New Moms
If you are looking for the best advice for new moms, the advice I wish I had right at the start, then here are my favorite 9 tips!
Do Not Overdo It
The first practical advice for a new mom should be not to overdo anything. Yes, it’s understandable that parenthood can be a bit overwhelming, and you’d want to take care of your newborn the best way possible.
But sometimes, you must tone down a little and let the baby explore the world. That doesn’t mean you should stop caring about them – you must be careful, cautious, and grounded while parenting a newborn.
Fix Your Sleep Schedule
If you’re a new mom, the chances are that you’re a millennial, and staying up late is something millennials do a lot. That’s fine, as long as you don’t have a newborn. The first few months, maybe even the whole first year, would be much more troublesome if you don’t fix your sleep schedule according to the child.
It’s quite simple. You can’t sleep when the baby’s awake, so whenever you have the time and the baby’s sleeping — you need to make peace with the timing and sleep as long as the baby sleeps.
It can be difficult for someone who goes to sleep well past midnight. So if you’re expecting a baby soon, we’d suggest you practice sleeping early to get used to the hectic parenthood!
Admit the Challenge and Act Accordingly
Babies are indeed high-maintenance. They’re lovely, and they change your whole world — and that has both negative and positive aspects.
If you’re one of those who loves functions like sports matches, concerts, or movie outings, we have bad news for you. In the first year, babies cry a lot, and bringing them to a cinema hall or a concert is nearly impossible.
From your schedules turned upside down to having interrupted sleep cycles — your world will change, and not in a good way at times. But don’t get cranky or disappointed — take it as a part of life and wait for your newborn to grow into a strong child!
If You Can’t Breastfeed, That’s Fine!
Always remember, every day, millions of babies get their nutrition from formulas, and even though breast milk is considered the best option, formulas aren’t so bad either!
Don’t sweat yourself if somehow you can’t breastfeed your child, it’s a widespread phenomenon, and using formula-based milk for your kid won’t do them any harm.
Get All Your Necessary Equipment Ready!
This is important, especially if you’re a working mom or must go out of your house frequently. Strollers are a must, as they’re the safest way to carry a baby outside.
Apart from that, you should wear pants with many pockets because babies will find ways to get you into trouble, and having the necessary tools in your pocket can save you from embarrassing situations!
Apart from pockets, you should always keep a cup holder for the stroller — you’ll understand why soon. Reusable water bottles will help you keep sane and hydrated, and maybe if you can manage wipe-warmers, they can also help clean out your newborn much more easily.
Train the Baby to Sleep Through Noises
You don’t have to rush to your baby every time they wake up after even the faintest noises.
What you can do is wait a bit in these situations, in most cases, the newborn learns to sleep through the noises. If it doesn’t, then that’s a different case.
But training your child to sleep through faint noises is a pretty efficient method.
If Anyone Offers Help, Take It
Parenting a newborn is the most challenging phase for parents. They require constant attention and care — balancing the baby and your everyday life gets very tough.
This is why you should never say no to any help from trusted ones, even if it’s something as little as holding the stroller in the superstore while you buy the day-to-day groceries.
Don’t Ignore Advice: Listen to Them and Think for Yourself
Many people will come to you and offer their life experiences when you’re a to-be-mom. While some of them can be great for your upcoming newborn, not all advice will be as effective. If the baby’s born, don’t try to experiment with them following different advice.
We’d suggest you use maternal instincts and choose what’s right for your newborn. But don’t ignore advice — that doesn’t look good on you. Instead, listen to what everyone has to say, and then go with what your instinct tells you. In most cases, your instinct is right.
Keep a Me-Time for Yourself
Just because you’re a mother now doesn’t mean you should keep looking after the baby 24/7 — you have a life too! So share the responsibilities with your partner, and try to find happiness amidst the hectic task of handling your newborn.
When you’re a mom, you’d want to share stories about your child with other moms, too, so you should socialize more than ever. Talk to the neighborhood moms, maybe join a book club and communicate!
Keep good care of your health, stay nourished, and take lots of photos of your baby — you’ll love them when the child grows up!
Final Words
The term ‘perfect mother’ is a myth because nobody’s perfect. So don’t feel bad whenever you see a photo of a happy couple with their baby— they, too, faced similar problems as you did!
So, do not compare your baby with any other babies. Your newborn is the best baby in the world — always keep this in mind.
We hope the advice we’ve provided was worth your time. Best of luck with parenthood and the newborn!
