Peter Pan was one of my favorite movies growing up. It perfectly encapsulates timelessness and…
New Dad Tips: Surviving the First Month
When a baby is born everyone focuses on baby and mom but we often forget this is all new for dad too. There is a lot of stress on mom right now but there are plenty of ways you can take some of the burden off her and make this learning period a lot easier for ALL of you. Follow these new dad tips and it will make surviving the first month a breeze!
Related: Surviving the First Two Weeks with a Newborn
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Take on diaper duty.
Mom is sore, probably bleeding, and more hormonal than ever before. Her body is going through a lot and if she’s exclusively breastfeeding she’s probably even more exhausted than ever expected. So just take on the diapers. At this point it takes a lot less for you to get up and down with the baby than it does for her. She’ll appreciate it more than you know.
Help with feeds.
If mom has started bottle feeding you can help by preparing bottles or taking shifts for feedings so mom has a chance to sleep a little longer. There are always pump/bottle parts that need cleaning, go ahead and get those out of the way.
House work!
When there is a new baby, the house work falls to the wayside. Cook dinner. Feed the dogs. Vacuum. Fold laundry. ANYTHING. It will be such a weight lifted off of her shoulders to know stuff is still getting done when she’s a slave to the babe.
Lastly, look out for momma!
This means carry the car seat when she’s recovering, remind her to stay fed/hydrated, be her gatekeeper when necessary. There will be a lot of people demanding to spend time with the new baby and momma may feel obligated to be a people pleaser. If you notice her getting overwhelmed, politely set your own visiting hours. You can tell people that you need your time as a new family. They will understand. Remind her that she is beautiful! Her body is going through some crazy stuff, she may not feel herself, she may not feel good at all… You taking a minute to remind her that she created a tiny human and for that she is amazing and beautiful will make her day. Really. It goes a lot farther than you’d think. And while you’re at it, take pictures. There will be a lot of time where she is the one behind the camera. She needs the memories of she and baby captured too.
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