Teething Problems: What Nobody Tells You About Being A Parent

 

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Life is hard, but parenting is harder. Let’s get this out of the way now. For all the various articles on parenting out there that offer various tips and tricks on how to survive, the fact is that right at the start, when you discover that you are pregnant, that is when your life changes forever. From here on in, it’s one culture shock after another. And, we feel quite reticent in asking for advice from a lot of people, because it’s something that’s been going on since the dawn of time, raising children. So, we feel a bit embarrassed about asking some of the questions that are ingrained into other parents’ psyches. But, we all need a cheat sheet, especially from the moment our baby is put into our arms. And here are some of the things that don’t get discussed, so you will know what to prepare for.

 

You Need To Trust Your Instincts

This can set off alarm bells in a lot of people’s heads, but if you are knee deep in parenting books that discuss silly little things like what angle to hold your child at, you need to pause, take a deep breath, and start to trust your instincts. Remember, whatever you have planned, life has other ideas. So, speak to your midwife, listen to your body, and trust your instincts.

 

You Will Feel Great, Then Terrible

This is part of the natural wave of emotion doing the first week or two, either from the mother or the father side. The natural high you will experience when you see your child for the first time is unlike anything else in the world, but gradually, the reality of the situation sets in, and it can severely impact your mood, frame of mind, but also your belief in your ability to do this. So, don’t feel guilty when you have this underwhelming sensation because it is natural.

 

You Will Learn How To Sleep Better

Sleep? What is sleep?! Yes, there will be a lot of times where you are operating on so little sleep that you are convinced you are going crazy, and the notion of finding time to relax is something that doesn’t happen in the first month or two. Instead, you need to make everything as smooth sailing as possible, and this means eliminating stressful influences. For example, you won’t have time to cook meals, and, if you do, you are very lucky, but that food will go cold very quickly! Batch cook meals. This is going to be the biggest savior for you during the first few weeks. Keep yourself fueled, don’t be concerned with things like diet, and eat as much as you can, when you can. And sleep whenever there is a spare moment. The baby will sleep plenty during their first few weeks on this planet, so sleep when they sleep! Don’t feel that your opportunity to rest is the right time to reply to all the texts you’ve had.

 

You Will Get Lots Of Conflicting Advice

Everyone is going to tell you how to do your job. The best piece of advice anybody can give in relation to this is to ignore them! With all the conflicting advice, it’s better for you to trust your instincts. While people are going to offer some very handy tips on the best shampoo or the best diaper rash cream, or how to make sure your baby feeds more, less, or just right, all this advice can be taken with a pinch of salt. But, you will know what advice to take on board, and what to disregard. The midwife will offer plenty of advice, and they will visit you regularly at the beginning. But remember, if there are issues, or if you are feeling incredibly panicked about something, there are always helplines, but don’t rely on doctor google!

 

The Small Things Won’t Matter Anymore

If you have concerns about your home being messy because you’ve got someone coming by, you need to change your priorities! The one small thing that is important in your life is your baby. In many ways, this is a blessing; you will finally relax and not sweat the small stuff because you will finally realize what life is all about. It’s now the point where you’ve got something more important than you in your life, and your priorities will change completely. So, does it really matter if there’s a clump of hair on the carpet in the corner? No, it doesn’t.

 

You Will Wash Your Hands More Than Ever!

From that first messy diaper, you will find yourself elbow deep in mess, or sometimes even deeper! Having a child is a very messy experience. So, keep the bathroom stocked with soap, but always have a pack of wet wipes and muslin cloths at hand, because there is going to be puke, urine, and poop, lots of it! You will be the last person to have a shower if you can be bothered.

 

You Will Feel Totally Different

In a good way! For all of the negative realities of being a parent, you will have never loved or cherished something this much in your life. And as they grow older, and you experience mini-battles on a daily basis, and they learn to talk back, you need to remember that this is all part and parcel of being a parent. This is something you will never get over, this sensation of being totally in love with this little bundle of joy. And, yes, the realities are that you don’t sleep, you need to eat 7 meals to keep your energy up, but that first couple of weeks in which your little one has been introduced to the world, and you’ve got that quality time, make sure you make the most of it. Some parents make the mistake of going back to work as soon as possible, but those first couple of weeks are crucial, not just for your child, but for you. You will truly find your feet, and you will start to bond with your baby. We can all feel a sense of detachment, and some of us can’t even love our children straight away, but this one thing is true, this is a seismic event. But it’s a fantastic one. You will learn so much about yourself and will find yourself capable of things you have never been able to do before.

 

 

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