A First Time Dad's Top Tips for Surviving the First Week with your New Baby
The first week of being a new parent can be extremely daunting for everyone, including dads and partners so we caught up with a new dad to ask his tops tips for surviving (and thriving!) in those early days.
Do your research but prepare to be surprised
There are so many books, blogs, videos and general advice out there for parents on what to expect that preparing for the arrival of your newborn can be disconcerting and make you feel that you are never going to read/watch/hear enough and that you can't ever be ready. From my personal experience this preparation is vital to gain an understanding and support the birthing person (mum in our case!) who has a lot on her mind for the impending arrival but the biggest takeaway I took from this ‘research’ is that every birth, baby and situation is different. Any plans or ideas you have about the first week are likely to be thrown out when the newborn arrives with their own ideas!
Ask for help
The first few hours are likely to be filled with emotion and there will be a lot going on. The midwives and other health care professionals were invaluable and are there to support the whole family not just mother and baby so don't be afraid to ask questions or as for help and try to absorb any information or advice that the professionals provide. After the arrival of my little one it was not long before I was in charge of the first nappy change (while being supervised by a professional). For a first time parent be prepared to discuss poop a lot - including colour, texture and frequency!
Get involved
Not only was I involved with the outputs but I also got involved with the inputs and supporting mum with breastfeeding. If your family is choosing to breast/chestfeed then you may think that a partner has little to do but this initial period can be challenging for a new mum. Supporting them emotionally and keeping them in snacks and hydrated is an essential task. Providing bottles or sterilising various feeding implements as required may seem like a never ending task but one you will very quickly master getting more efficient each day.
Sleep - the great taboo!
The one topic that everyone seems to have an opinion on is sleep and my only real piece of advice is for you all to get it whenever you can. You may not sleep at the same time as your partner and you may feel like passing ships in the night (or day) but it won't last, you will sleep again eventually I promise. As I mentioned before, every baby and situation is different - my little one had terrible reflux so would only sleep while being held meaning that one of us had to be awake at all times. A baby carrier was an absolute life-saver for when I needed to get things done (I loved our Ergobaby Embrace) but otherwise I just embraced the cuddles and late night binge watching and caught up on sleep when it was no longer my shift.
How to make the. mot out of visitors
Having visitors can be a double edged sword. Having left the hospital when baby was less than a day old it seemed that we were immediately in the deep end but there should be plenty of support available to you throughout the first week. Make use of the useful visitors, whether it's asking a midwife if that poop is ‘normal’ or asking a relative to make a cup of tea but also don’t be afraid to put visitors off or ask well-wishers to leave so that you can bond as a new family and have some precious time to yourselves.
Ask for help - again!
The time goes in the blink of an eye and while it's intense it's also the most amazing whirlwind - enjoy what you can but don't worry if you're not loving every second - that's totally normal! If you feel like you need emotional support then do reach out for help, your GP will be able to point you in the right direction or you can reach out to organisations like Dads Matter and Mind too - there's plenty of resources out there and your mental health is just as important as anyone else's.
