Being A New Parent Is Hard But Worthwhile: Find Your Own Best Way

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Image by Becoming a parent is many things. Exhilarating. Exhausting. Nerve-wracking. A privilege. In the main, it's a wonderful thing, but there are few parents around who would not admit to having been overwhelmed at some point. Somewhere between conception and birth, you'll have a range of emotions. These will run from dizzying highs to crushing lows, and all people will want to hear about is the highs.

This is not to say that you should look on pregnancy and childbirth as a bad thing at all. The exhilaration certainly outweighs all the bad stuff, but you're just human if you are stricken with doubts and concerns. Just about every parent is, and in the early days, you should take the chance to talk to as many recent parents as you can. Other people who are trying to conceive, or dream of it in the future, may well not get what you're going through.

This continues after your baby is born. Everybody has the same questions and expects you to answer them with the same enthusiasm. Never mind that it's the 100th time you've been asked, and you're exhausted.

It's just a good idea to be ready for this. You're going to be tired, because carrying a baby to term is demanding and stressful. And in the early days you may not get as much sleep as you'd ideally like. This is supportable for a time, because adrenaline and endorphins will be doing a lot of work. But eventually, sleep is going to be important for you and your little one.

It is of major importance that you find a way to ensure that your night's sleep is as peaceful as possible while also ensuring that baby is looked after. Many parents set up an airbed in the nursery to allow them to sleep in there. Some will just sit in a chair by the cot and grab whatever Zs they are allowed to get. But is this the best way to get the rest that allows your body and mind to repair?

Increasingly, parents are finding ways to allow baby to sleep in their rooms and thus have the home bed advantage when it comes to restful sleep. That kind of sleep is essential because it is how your body runs repairs. Keeping baby close by in a crib, such as a Snuzpod 3 in 1 bedside crib, means you can be right there for them. It provides an alternative to co-sleeping, removing the real concerns some parents have about doing that.

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In the early days of parenthood, you will hear so much conflicting advice. Some from your new parent peers, some from people who had their kids decades ago. Some of it will be from people with no kids at all. And some advice, from each of these groups, will be useful. But finding your way is also important because it's a different baby and you're a different parent. So don't let anyone tell you there's a perfect way to do it and you're doing it wrong.