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Congratulations! After waiting patiently for the better half of nine months, your baby has finally arrived, and you can take them home. Having a newborn is the most exciting and overwhelming time of a parent’s life, especially if you’re new to the game. Because as adorable as this tiny bundle of joy is, they are also a lot of work. No one prepares you for how exhausted you are going to be for the first few months. You are going to spend your days feeding your infant, changing their diapers, and rocking them back to sleep. And as easy as it sounds, there’s a good chance that you may turn into a sleep deprived zombie. But what can you do when your baby wakes up every other hour to nurse or in need of a diaper change and kisses all throughout the night and day? If your eyelids are closing involuntarily and you need to get more sleep, we’ve got a few tips for you. Just keep your eyes open and keep reading!
1. Pump And Sleep
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If you’re a new mama, it’s time to get your hands on some battery operated or electric pumps so that you can save yourself at least a couple of hours of undisturbed sleep at night. You can start feeding your baby with a bottle as soon as they come home from the hospital. We recommend that you have one on hand so that you can pump some extra milk for a feed or two at night. Let the dad or any other family member you trust take a shift or two at night so that you are not waking up every hour or so. Keep in mind that newborns wake up to be fed very often, so it’s important to have a helping hand. Pumping breastmilk and allowing someone else to bottle feed the infant will make your life so much easier. This way you get to wake up energized and rejuvenated to take care of your little one in the morning.
2. Midnight Power Snack
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If you are up nursing the babies or bottle feeding them but running out of the will to stay upright after a long day, the quickest solution to give you a boost of energy is to have a power snack. If you don’t want to move around too much, keep a small snack station next to your bed or in the nursery. This way you can feed the infant and yourself at the same time. Keep things like protein bars, crackers or good old dark chocolate in a stash so that it’s easily accessible and doesn’t make a mess. You could also have some yogurt or a glass of milk if you’re particularly hungry. These foods will also make you feel better in the morning if you haven’t had any sleep.
3. One Night Off And One Night On
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You and your partner can always take turns when it comes to taking the night shift. Plan out the days that you can do and the days you’d like them to take over. That way when you rotate nights, you both get a better chance at a decent night’s sleep at least once in 48 hours. This may not sound ideal, but any parent with a newborn knows that sometimes this is a best case scenario. If it’s not your night you can always set everything up for your partner before you head off to bed. This will make things more manageable for the both of you.
4. Stay In Separate Rooms
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Most couples are not big fans of the concept of sleeping in separate rooms, but it really does work wonders when done right. You may think that this would disconnect you from your partner, but that’s not true. What you do when you are both awake is far more conducive to your relationship than simply sleeping restlessly next to each other. Not to mention that you can always cuddle before you head off to separate rooms. But why do this in the first place? Sometimes taking turns dealing with the baby doesn’t work because the other parent is disturbed when their partner moves around to nurse the baby and then get back to sleep. So, in this case, sleeping in separate rooms will ensure that they get a night of undisrupted sleep.
5. Make Use Of The Bassinet
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If you’re determined to breastfeed your baby throughout the night, put them in a bassinet right beside you. This way, you won’t even have to fully wake up when they need to feed. And you’ll have a better chance of drifting back to sleep once they are done.
Having a newborn can feel like living in an exhaustion induced fantasy land where the only thing you see after a while is spit up and dirty diapers. It’s important to take a step back and give your body and brain a chance to rest and catch up with reality. So, make use of these tips and sleep tight!
