Most people find the first six to eight weeks to be the hardest with a new baby, and whilst people may not openly discuss many of the challenges in these early weeks of parenthood (if at all), there are a number of common hurdles you may face at this time.
But many first-time parents find that after the first month of parenthood, it can actually get more difficult. This surprising truth is one reason many experts refer to a baby's first three months of life as the “fourth trimester.” If months two, three, and beyond are tougher than you expected, you're not alone.
Onces babies start to self-soothe around 3-4 months, you will start to feel more like yourself. With a consistent sleep schedule and environment, your baby will sleep in longer stretches at night and take better naps during the day! This will give you time to nap, perform some self-care, or do some housework.
Feeding and sleeping in the first week of life
Your newborn will sleep most of the time, waking up every few hours to feed. Newborns can't 'sleep through the night'. They have tiny tummies, so they need to wake and feed often. Most newborns feed every 2-4 hours, and they have around 8-12 feeds every 24 hours.
The survey found that the majority of new parents are getting between 5 and 6 hours of sleep each night. Sadly, no surprises there. On average, each new parent loses a staggering 109 minutes of sleep every night for the first year after having a baby.
You'll have beautiful moments, sure, but the newborn phase isn't the beginning of the end as everyone would have you believe. It's just the beginning. You're under no requirements to enjoy it, and in no way expected to actually love each moment. You're allowed to feel feelings.
As your baby passes through the milestones of learning to self-soothe, outgrowing colic, and sleeping through the night, parenting your newborn will get easier. While it'll get easier with each passing day, you can expect caring for your newborn will be much easier by the time they're about 3 months old.
Sleepless nights are common in new parenthood, but they do not last forever. Most babies will begin to sleep for longer periods at night from the age of 6 months old. Newborn babies need to feed every few hours until the age of 3 months. After this, it is normal for infants to feed once or twice during the night.
Yes, your hormones are readjusting and you're tired, but you're also settling into life with a new baby. Feeling sad or overwhelmed at times is normal and expected.
The newborn stage is difficult for most parents, whether you're a first-time or seasoned mom. The abrupt change to your lifestyle, the sleep deprivation, and the demands of a baby make these weeks and months one of the hardest for any parent.
In essence, the first night at home with your newborn may be more stressful than you hope due to the fact that both you and your little one have a lot of adjustments to make together. It's perfectly normal and expected for newborns to be fussy and cry more when we try to put them down.
These first few weeks will be very busy and slightly crazy, but the best thing to do is take everything as it comes and enjoy it. In the first 1 or 2 weeks your baby will be getting used to life outside the womb, and you'll be getting used to changing lots of nappies!
Some babies cry very little for the first two weeks of their lives because they are still sleepy and adapting to life outside the womb. As they start to become more awake and alert, they might start to cry more, letting you know what they need.
By 6 or 7 months of age, your baby may need some things but want others. At that point, you may be able to resist their demands a little. It's not so much that you're spoiling them if you “give in” to their every wish, but it may be more beneficial to help them understand some limits (often for their own safety).
You, like millions of other parents, have likely found yourself in a situation where you have become very frustrated, even angry with your babies crying. It is important to know that this is completely normal.
According to a study led by the baby brand Munchkin, on average it takes most new moms four months and 23 days to adjust to motherhood, a new baby and a new lifestyle.
Many new parents need more time to bond. Bonding is when you develop feelings of unconditional love for your newborn. Often, bonding happens gradually over the baby's first year of life. So if you don't feel these strong feelings of closeness in the first days or weeks after birth, that's normal.
A neonate is also called a newborn. The neonatal period is the first 4 weeks of a child's life.