Bringing a new life into the world is perhaps one of the most sobering experiences out there, even if it can be one of the most wonderful. After all, there are no excuses you can give when there’s a little one relying on you for everything. You cannot ignore and go to bed early because you are tired if they are crying and need your attention. You might have to make sacrifices, delay your other work, and pay your full attention to your kid.
Moreover, if this is your first child, it is interesting to realize you are no longer the most important person in your life. The child becomes the priority for parents. Their minds and eyes are always on the child’s activities. This becomes part of their daily life. Having a kid at home is a wonderful and unique feeling.
Life feels incomplete without children. The first child who comes into a home brings joy and happiness. But the parents need to understand the reality of life before welcoming their first or second child into their home.
Intimacy With Your Partner Might Pause For Now
It is completely normal for the romantic aspect of your relationship to take a backseat for a while because you are both purely focused on the wealth of your little one. You will usually start running on empty, which means the idea of a romantic evening feels like a memory from a different life when you have not slept for more than three hours straight in weeks. It is understandably hard to feel amorous when you are dealing with the continual needs of your little one and wearing the same pajamas for three days in a row, but it is important to remember that this is a temporary season of life.
It is better to accept this change gracefully, as trying to force normalcy often causes frustration or feelings of rejection that are unnecessary. Small moments matter more now, like letting your partner sleep in for an extra hour or making them a cup of coffee exactly how they like it.
You Might Not Agree On Everything
You would think you know someone well after being with them for years, but seeing their parent is a different experience entirely that can bring up new sides of their personality. We all bring our own childhood blueprints into the mix, and sometimes those backgrounds don’t match up perfectly when decisions need to be made about sleep schedules or discipline.
For example, one of you might be strict about routine while the other is more relaxed and willing to go with the flow, and that friction can cause sparks to fly when you are both exhausted. It is natural to clash occasionally over these things because you both want what’s best for the baby.
As such, it is wise to discuss the major parenting philosophies before the baby arrives, so you are not trying to have a deep debate at 3 in the morning. Hearing each other out usually solves the problem, so agree to do that in advance if you can.
Not All Children Develop At The Same Pace
You might look at the baby next door walking early or hearing about a cousin’s child who is already talking, and wonder why yours isn’t there yet. That’s a quick way to stress yourself out for no reason because every single baby runs on their own clock that you cannot control or speed up. Even if two develop differently, they can still be perfectly within the healthy range of development.
If you can, ignore the noise and focus entirely on the unique little person in front of you, learning new things every single day. Your child’s doctor will tell you if there’s a genuine issue to be concerned about, so until then, it is best to trust the process.
It is Best To Prepare Everything Now
Leaving things for the last minute is not ideal when you are about to have a baby because babies rarely arrive exactly when they are supposed to. It is much nicer to bring a newborn home to a house that’s organized and ready, so you don’t have to worry about where the wipes are when you’re half asleep.
Moreover, washing the tiny clothes and setting up the sleeping area makes it all feel real and helps you mentally prepare for the transition that’s coming. You won’t want to assemble furniture or closets when you’re recovering physically and trying to figure out breastfeeding or bottle schedules.
It is a wise choice, then, to gather all your modern nursery essentials well before the due date so you aren’t scrambling for supplies. Having the diapers stocked and the freezer full of meals means you can just focus on bonding with the baby, and you have everything you need to hand.
Frayed Nerves & Lack Of Sleep Can Lead To A Little Irrationality Sometimes
You are going to be tired, and that makes everyone a little shorter on patience than they would normally be. It is common to snap at your partner over things that wouldn’t usually bother you, like leaving a dish in the sink or forgetting to take out the trash. The brain just doesn’t work right without sleep, working like a fog that makes everything harder to process and emotions much harder to cope with. You might find yourself crying over a commercial or getting angry at a zipper that won’t close, as silly as that seems, it does happen.
It is important to forgive each other quickly and not hold onto grudges during this time because you are both doing your best under difficult circumstances. Apologizing really can help when you realize you have been unreasonable, and it clears the air instantly. It is just exhaustion talking and not how you truly feel about each other, so try to let it roll off your back. The fuzzy period won’t last forever, and you will look back and laugh at how delirious you both were and how far you have come.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily accept a few tough realities before welcoming your loved one into the world.
