Being a parent, and especially a first-time parent is beautiful, challenging and overwhelming – all at the same time. It is an important role, and we often worry about whether we do it well. When we come home with our newborn, we spend a lot of our time adapting to the new lifestyle and taking care of the baby. It is a fact that a baby requires our full attention and dedication. However, even though it is tough, new parents need to take care of their physical and mental health. When parents are healthy and happy, so is the baby. We must try not to neglect our needs as human and social beings.
When it comes to wellness tips for first-time parents, we must start by emphasising the importance of a well-balanced diet and hydration. Then, sleep. Sleep is essential for regenerating damaged cells and recuperating. New parents should ask for help from family members and friends – even little things will mean the world to you. Moreover, spending some time outdoors can be beneficial for our vitamin D intake as well as our psyche. You mustn’t forget to do something just for yourself as well as to try and stay connected to your partner. Keep reading to learn more.
1. Maintain a well-balanced diet
While learning to take care of your newborn and to cater its needs, it can be a real challenge to keep ourselves nourished. However, it is crucial to maintain a well-balanced diet even in these moments when we are overwhelmed with other things. It’s very difficult for a person to do this alone. So, in these moments, your partner’s support (and warm, nutritious meals) means a lot.
Also, what you can do is keep meal preparation simple. It’s good to always have some staple foods on hand. You can make some sandwich supplies, overnight oats, a whole roasted chicken and protein bars as well as bananas in your kitchen. You can order food supplies and have them delivered to your home – in that way you’ll always have something quick and nutritious to eat. Remember to drink water often, and keep a bottle nearby to remind you. Hydration is crucial for normal functioning and healing.
2. Get your Zzzs whenever you can
Getting enough sleep while raising a newborn is tough. As moms usually need to get up a few times during the night to feed the baby, they often feel exhausted during the day. Hence, the suggestion is to sleep whenever your baby sleeps. And this is a plausible piece of advice. Even though there are things around the house that need to be done, leave them for the time being and take a nap. You shouldn’t feel guilty. Instead, you should work on recovering, healing your body and restoring energy as you’ll need it. Resist the urge to scroll the social media too much and try to rest and relax, even while you’re feeding your baby. Self-care for parents is equally important as baby care.
3. Ask for help
New parents are usually reluctant to ask for help. However, we shouldn’t feel that way. Your family members and close friends have probably offered to help you with whatever you need. And you shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask for that help. These can be little things, such as doing the shopping, paying bills, going to the grocery store, buying necessary baby clothes and so on. They can also help you with chores, such as doing the laundry, folding it, vacuuming, tidying up or whatever.
4. Spend some time outdoors
Although it can be a real challenge to spend even a little time outdoors in the first few weeks of a baby’s life, as soon as you get the chance, you should go outside. If your partner watches the baby, you can take a walk by yourself or you can take your baby in a stroller as well. You can make it a family stroll through the park. Your baby will also appreciate breathing fresh air and spending some time outside. Of course, the weather conditions need to be optimal.
5. Do something for yourself and stay connected to your partner
We can easily get lost as new, first-time parents. That happens as we devote ourselves completely to the baby. Nevertheless, we should be mindful and still find some time to do something we enjoy. It can be a bubble bath, reading a book, getting a massage – whatever! It will keep you peaceful and fulfilled. Moreover, we should also try to find some time to spend with our partner. We should do our best to stay connected by doing some activities and spending time together.
Being a parent is without a doubt, one of the best jobs in the world. However, it is also a full-time job, filled with all kinds of challenges we need to overcome.
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