If you ask seasoned parents about what it’s like to have a baby, they’ll all tell you the same thing. Having a baby is wonderful. They might even claim that they miss that first year. It’s true, having a baby is wonderful but there are a few hurdles that you’ll need to get over just at the start of this journey. So, let’s explore some of the common issues that you can face and that the typical broody parent won’t tell you about at all.
The Sheer Volume Of Mess
You need to be prepared for a lot of mess as a new parent. We’ll start with the big one and that’s vomiting. Through the first few months, your baby is going to throw up a lot. There’s no real way to avoid this. They bring back their milk and after this, they bring back their solids too. This isn’t the worst of it. Nappies can leak and that brings a whole other nightmare it doesn’t matter whether you use disposable one or reusable nappies you will definitely experience at least one “poonarmie”! This is why you need a large supply of newborn baby clothes that you can change your baby into when one outfit gets ruined. Your washing machine won’t be able to keep up with the sheer level of stained clothes.
The Constant Fear
There’s a lot of fear for new parents. You’ll be scared about cot death for at least the first 12 months. Terrified when your baby starts gagging on their first solid foods during the weaning process even if you have followed all the weaning advice and have all the weaning essentials. You will also find yourself feeling nervous when they begin to crawl even though you have been willing them on for weeks as they start to show signs of being mobile and then when they are actually walking the fear just gets heightened as they have further to fall. During all these times of perfectly normal stress it’s important to try and remain calm while also putting the right safety measures in place. It’s easier than you might think to childproof your home. This includes installing child locks and ensuring that you set up stair gates around the property as well.
The Never-Ending Sleepless Nights
You also need to be prepared for quite a few sleepless nights. At a young age, babies often struggle to sleep through the night and when they get older they can go through stages of sleep regression. Just like the other things we have mentioned, there’s no real way to avoid it. But there are definitely options that you can explore to make your life easier. For instance, you might want to make sure you have a mosses basket with a comfy mattress that they can settle in easily and when in their own cot you might think about getting a mobile to keep them entertained and help them drift off as well as black out curtains to keep the room dark.
The Blink Of An Eye
Finally, you need to be prepared for the fact that the first year and even the first couple of years go by very quickly indeed. You need to make sure that you are taking it all in and recording as much as possible. Before you know it, you’ll be looking back as your baby soon-to-be toddler starts to whiz through all the key milestones.
We hope this helps you understand some of the key things that you do need to get ready for as new parents that you might not have heard about from friends and family who are a couple of years ahead of you.