How to Deal with Exhaustion During the Newborn Stage
It can be tough to deal with new parent exhaustion! It’s like this cloud that follows you around the first few months after the baby is born. If you need some tips on dealing with exhaustion during that newborn stage, check out these tips. I will be definitely following them when I give birth to my twin girls in two months!
Take Shifts
A great idea for new parents is for them to take shifts when caring for the baby. There’s no point in having two exhausted parents or even one overly exhausted parent. Taking shifts means one parent cares for the baby while the other sleeps. It’s so nice to get longer stretches of sleep than the typical 1-2 hours a newborn only allows.
Get Into a Routine
It’s obvious that it will take some for baby to get into a routine, but that doesn’t mean you cannot start now. Try going to bed as soon as the baby goes to bed to ensure you’re getting plenty of sleep. It’s said that babies sleep best when they’re first asleep during the nighttime. Take advantage of this and get into a routine yourself!
Take Naps
There are no rules that say you cannot take a nap whenever you’re a parent. In fact, you will do better as a parent if you’re well rested. The experts aren’t joking when they say sleep when baby sleeps. Getting up every two hours at night will really get to you and test your patience, so it’s important to get as much rest as you can.
Ask for Help
If you’re really to that point where you don’t think you can do it anymore, ask for help. No one wants your patience to boil over, so please ask for help. Even if someone just comes over to hold the baby while you take a shower. It is okay to ask for help, remember that.
Keep Your Favorite Beverage on Hand
It’s always nice when you have something to look forward to as a parent. It’s a good idea to keep your favorite coffee or sparkling water on hand for you to enjoy, when you just need an extra pick-me-up. That newborn stage can seem never-ending, so why not have something to perk yourself up?
Don’t Forget to Eat
If you’re not eating a well-balanced diet, you are going to feel fatigue a lot faster. Your body needs those fuels to keep it going. When it comes to dealing with parental exhaustion during those newborn stages, don’t forget to eat.
I have no children so I can not say what will help or not with any conviction. What is written above does make a lot of sense to me–especially trying to nap when your baby does.
I slept when my babies slept. I did not get much else accomplished, but at least I was not completely exhausted!
I never wanted to nap when the baby was napping as I wanted to get things done. However, when I forced myself to do it, I felt so much better!
Thumbs-up for naps! Heck, not just during the newborn stage – any stage!
Wait?! Exhaustion is just a stage? I haven’t gotten over the “newborn” stage yet then and my kids are much older!
Exhaustion? I’m still dealing with exhaustion and my baby is six years old.
Omg great tips!!! Honestly the newborn stage is exactly why in one and done lol… I did it once, no resin to do it again 😉
There is so much exhaustion when you have a newborn. I can remember those days very clearly.