Sleep whenever you can
Rest can be hard to come by with a newborn, so get whatever rest you can before your wee one arrives. Not to mention that if anyone ever offers to look after baby so you can have a nap… take them up on the offer! Other than that, enjoy the quiet moments with your baby – whether it’s night time feeds or rocking for nap time. Those moments won’t last forever, and you’ll miss them when they are gone.
Keep things simple
Often, a whole lot of fuss comes with a newborn. Everyone always says you absolutely need a huge list of essentials. In reality, babies are pretty simple, and you don’t need a whole lot (other than cuddles and hugs of course). There’s no point in buying a huge range of clothes when they outgrow them before you can blink!
Get comfortable with mess
As much as you can prepare and say you’re going to keep things tidy and organised with a newborn… the reality is very different. Babies are messier than you can imagine, so don’t expect your home to look like a showroom! Be comfortable with a little bit of mess, and don’t feel like there’s pressure to have your home (and life) perfect.
That being said, have more clothes, towels, and WaterWipes than you think you need. There’s nothing worse than being caught out with a mess and nothing to clean it with!
Don’t be so hard on yourself
It may feel like other parents are coping much better with their newborn than you might be. But things are always different from the outside looking in! The reality is that nobody entirely knows what they are doing in the first few months (if ever!), and every parent is experiencing the same worries and concerns you are – no matter how perfect things may look from the outside.
There’s no ‘one way’ to parent. But if your baby is healthy and happy, then you’re doing great. Take some deep breaths because you’ve got this (even on the days it might not feel that way). Enjoy every minute of time with your newborn – even the tears and the dirty nappies – because they won’t be little forever.