7 growing pains every new parent has to face
Becoming a parent for the first time is a bit of a metamorphosis. Before we can really stretch our wings and fly confidently, though, there are a few growing pains we all face.
But these are the things that make us feel experienced, and also able to dish out our own, ‘been there, done that too’ parenting advice.
Here are seven of the biggies that you’ll face with your baby.
1. Early feeding woes
Regardless of whether you breast or bottle feed your baby (or have to do the latter because the former just didn’t work out – you are NOT alone!). Feeding, like sleeping, is something babies need to learn.
This is one of the biggest new parent speed bumps, but once you and your bub get over it, she will be guzzling that milk like a hungry little lamb.
2. Calling BS on ‘sleep like a baby’
When the onslaught of sleep deprivation really starts to take its toll what day is it and why are my keys in the dirty clothes basket?), you start to wonder what lunatic ever came up with the saying, ‘sleep like a baby’?
Most newborn babies don’t sleep well enough – or long enough – for you to get some really good shut-eye. So you might as well make peace with this early on.
3. Accepting you have a velcro baby
Did you know babies are made of velcro? It’s true! They literally need to be attached to you, for a time, anyway.
Once you accept this adorable, albeit restricting, stage and start wearing your baby, life gets a little easier. You can even pour yourself a bowl of cereal without creating extreme kitchen chaos. Look mum, two hands!
4. Surviving sleep regression torture
Yawn.
As if sleep deprivation wasn’t bad enough in the early days, there comes a time when your baby will forget all the good night-time routines and sleep training you have put in place. The night waking starts again (like all night) and you wonder if the days of her ‘sleeping though’ will ever return.
It does. Hang in there!
5. Dealing with a shocker poonami
Here’s hoping this one happens at home, and not while you are in the middle of the shopping centre.
A poonami is actually a series of poos that come in an avalanche – and they just keep building up. Then, before you’ve had a chance to dash to the parent’s room, the whole thing spills out of your baby’s nappy, destroying her cute outfit and slipping out onto the floor, car seat or wherever you happen to be.
Yuck, and face palm.
6. Deciphering teething troubles
Oh your poor little love is teething – or is she?
When those pearly whites first start to inflame her gums, it’s common for parents to not realise that this is the cause of her irritable behaviour, night waking and rosy cheeks.
Your mother-in-law will tell you, of course (like she did BEFORE your baby even was teething). But one day, she will be right and suddenly all your questions will be answered.
She’s teething!
“Quick, we need teething toys for her to gnaw on, STAT!”
7. Overcoming a public tantrum
Oh, this one is a doozy. That first time your little one throws herself on the floor and screams blue murder, is just the first public meltdown of many.
If you manage to stay calm and avoid looking at the judgmental eyes of passersby, you will eventually become immune when it happens time and time again.
And like everything else in the parenting game, she will eventually grow out of it and throw you some new curve balls!
The information above is general in nature and the opinion of the writer and should not be taken as medical advice
