6 Tips For First Time Parents 

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Becoming a parent for the first time? Understandably, you will be feeling all kinds of emotions right now and it is perfectly normal to feel a lot of stress and anxiety. There are a few handy tips for first-time parents that will hopefully help you during what can be a challenging time!

Know-How to Handle a Newborn

Many people have no or very little experience in handling a newborn until they have one themselves. Before handling your newborn, you should always wash your hands to prevent germs and make sure that you are always supporting the head and neck. It is daunting at first, but it is something that you very quickly learn and get used to.

Take Time For Yourself

It is easier said than done, but you need to create time for yourself when you bring a newborn home. It can be very easy to burn out and experience negative emotions when you do not take a break, which is why you need to have people around that can help. This should give you some time to sleep, go for a walk, meet a friend, exercise etc to clear your head and recharge.

Know the Sleeping Basics

In the first year, the newborn should sleep in your bedroom and you should avoid using a blanket, toy, quilt or pillows – instead, bamboo baby pyjamas are a good option that can keep them comfortable. Additionally, it is important to know that newborns sleep for 16 hours on average.

Know-How to Calm a Crying Baby

A crying baby can be stressful and distressing, but it is also something that you will have to get used to. There may be a clear reason why the baby is crying with an easy solution. If not, you might find that there are a few things that work well to calm your baby whether this is making them laugh, a baby massage, rocking them or going for a walk. You might also find that there is one person who seems to have a knack for calming them – keep this person around as much as you can!

Breastfeeding Doesn’t Work For Everyone

Every mother will want to breastfeed and have that important connection with their baby, but it is important to understand that it does not work for everyone and this does not mean that you are a bad parent or will not connect with your baby as strongly. 

Perfect Parenting Does Not Exist

Finally, you need to know that perfect parenting does not exist and every parent and baby are different. What works for someone may not work for someone else and it is a constant learning process that simply requires you to do the best you can.

Hopefully, these tips will help you to manage and cherish your new bundle of joy!