Yesterday I was interviewed for a radio broadcast by a budding journalist about how to prepare new parents for lack of sleep in the early weeks. Can you ‘bank it up beforehand’ was an idea that was floated? If someone could develop a technique to do just that they would become a multi-millionaire! In all honesty one should feel as relaxed as possible, however I would encourage all new parents to make the most of their ‘child free’ days before the baby arrives and deprives them of the luxury of a w/e lie-in!
Sleep really should not be underestimated and can wreck havoc with a young couples relationship. If mum chooses to breast feed, Dad’s can still be involved and help with winding, changing or settled your new baby. The other benefit of course is that it builds the relationship between parent and child and makes Dads feel they do have a bigger role. It’s also a great stress reliever holding a relaxed, sleeping baby after a feed.
Parents will no doubt have their worries and concerns about their parenting skills or wonder if they’re ‘getting things right’ but having a baby is a huge learning curve in your life and the best thing is to watch and respond to your baby’s cues and change things if something is not working. If this fails to make a difference, then you would be advised to consult a healthcare professional or your G. P.
If a problem goes undetected it can lead to further worry or leave your child in pain and discomfort so it is always best to get help early on. The other knock on effect is that it can lead to longer term sleep problems and even more disruption when you are hoping for an improvement.
Babies are simple creatures really, they cry to communicate ‘I need food and comfort’ or in some cases it’s, ‘I’m in pain ‘ . If you have checked these out you can relax and soothe your child to sleep, then jump into bed yourself to catch up on some much needed zzz- instead of using your I-pad or checking your phone or Facebook page! These items are becoming more of our modern ‘sleep robbers’ rather than your new baby.
How much time are you spending on technology instead of sleeping?