As a new parent, there is certainly a lot that’s going to be on your mind. You want to make sure that you have everything your baby needs, you need to keep them fed, safe, and happy, and you somehow need to fit it into your everyday life even when your schedule can seem like it doesn’t have room for it.
As such, you don’t need to be worrying about anything else on top of it. However, especially for first-timers, it seems like there’s no end to the concerning changes along the way. Here, we’re going to look at some that might not be as much of a worry as you would initially think.
Having trouble with breastfeeding
It’s a very common concern. When mothers feel like they’re not able to breastfeed properly, it can feel like a true failure. However, the truth is that these issues are exceedingly common, even if you look around and find nothing but mothers successfully feeding their child without issue. Check out a few breastfeeding tips that can run you through everything from how to get your child to latch on down to how to reduce any discomfort and to produce more milk.
A sudden change to their sleeping pattern
You might have found that, previously, your baby was sleeping just fine. Nice, deep, and pretty much immediate sleep for months after you bring them home. However, all of a sudden, they start taking much shorter naps, waking up more often, and waking up crying. It can definitely be challenging for the parents, but it’s very likely to be the 4 month sleep regression.
These happen as the baby matures and its sleep cycle naturally develops and might come with some new challenges for them, such as teething, learning to crawl or to roll over, or becoming more aware of their surroundings. Making changes to bedtime so that they’re in bed while drowsy but still awake, ensuring they get tummy time during the day to tire them out, and ensuring their room is dark can all help to some degree.
Is your baby gaining enough weight?
You want your baby to grow up healthy and strong and one of the easiest ways to see precisely that is to take a look at their weight. If you’re breastfeeding your baby, then it’s not easy to see exactly how much they are eating. However, if you’re giving them 8 to 12 feedings a day, then you’re very likely to be doing just fine.
If you’re not getting them that much, then you might want to look at feeding strategies to get them to take a little more throughout the day. Babies grow at different rates, however, and they typically even out so long as you’re feeding them enough, so you don’t need to do much more.
Your baby is crying a lot
No one likes to hear the sound of a baby crying. When it’s your own child, however, you might be surprised by how quickly the alarm bells can start ringing in your head. However, usually, when a baby is crying, it’s due to some of the more pedestrian needs, such as being hungry, sleepy, or having a full nappy. They might even cry if they’re being held too much or being played with too much.
If the crying is consistent for long periods of time, then you should talk to a pediatrician if they also have some of the other symptoms of colic. However, if you’re able to calm your baby down within an hour or two, it’s not very likely to be this.
Worries that you might drop the baby
You’re going to spend a lot of time holding your baby and, even if it might feel a little alien at first, it’s quickly going to become second nature. Though people who can get a little antsy about things might find themselves worrying about potentially dropping the baby.
However, you can make sure the chances of this are as low as possible by babyproofing your home effectively, getting rid of rugs or any other tripping hazards and keeping walkways clear. Otherwise, you will simply get used to the sensation over time and this worry will go away over time, especially as they get bigger.
Conclusion
It can be difficult to find the time to relax and get your head on straight as a newborn’s parent. However, with the tips above, you can make sure that you’re not worrying about anything too unnecessary.
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