After giving birth, the mother’s body undergoes a healing process and starts regaining its pre-pregnancy state gradually in the first few weeks. This period is called the postpartum period. Postpartum is marked by hormonal changes that inevitably lead to erratic mood swings ranging from extremely ecstatic to extremely frustrated. With a new person’s addition in the family, emotions and stress are bound to take a toll on even the most balanced of the people. One can only imagine the plight of new parents.
We know that the newly formed trio of baby, mama and papa are filled with magnanimous levels of excitement and joy. However, this overzealous attitude generally leads to fatigue. Pregnancy brings in irregularity in the hitherto set schedules of both mama and papa. In addition to that, the physical exertion that follows pregnancy simply adds to the misery of the parents.
The element of guilt attached to their feeling annoyed and irritated with the baby’s crying and sleeping habits further unload whole baggage of stress onto the parents.
Sleep Deprivation is one of the major problems that affect the little family. The newly formed bond keeps on coming under threat due to a seemingly simple yet largely problematic issue of lack of sleep. Lack of sleep often gets neglected by the family as something too trivial and frivolous. Instead, it is that one thing which requires utmost attention and cure. Small things are the big things after all, aren’t they? Statistics show that post-childbirth, women’s health takes a toll and due to lack of proper rest, it gets worse. A significant number of accidents are reported every year caused due to reckless driving by under slept parents. All due to one reason and that is lack of sleep.
We all are very well aware of the answer. It certainly won’t. The issue at hand is quite significant but when it comes to making peace with it, it surely crumbles down to a non-issue. The key to experience that plain, horizontal bliss without having to worry about anything is basic management ability.
As the baby starts adjusting to the new world, the mother and father start compromising on a lot of things without contemplating the consequences. This, many times, lands them into serious and subtle trouble when they start finding themselves way too exhausted with burning eyes and irritability levels at their peak. However, if the parent duo just manages the lack of sleep together as a unit and support each other through the oxymoronic crisis-ridden happy situation, everything can be put back into its place.
A baby needs utmost care and protection at night. It is that time of the entire day when the baby feels most insecure, scared and uncomfortable. We have had numerous instances in popular representation of the postpartum period which draws heavily from the real-life pan-universal fact of howling babies at night. The little bundles of joy tend to metamorphose into crying packets, leading to a chain of discomfort, for both the parents as well as the baby itself.
Babies might cry due to:
Crying is simply a baby-signal for asking for help and attention. Parents often find themselves waking up in the middle of the night and sometimes, at regular intervals due to the baby’s demands. One cannot ignore them. A very effective way of dealing with these regular yet erratic bouts of disturbance is taking turns.
Watch video on Role of Dads in Parenting
Both the parents can keep a watch on the baby and attend to the baby turn by turn. Taking up this responsibility every alternate day seems to be quite a feasible option as it helps in maintaining your sleep cycle well and regulates it gradually. If taking turns also seems improbable and impractical, then one can always shell out some money. Fortunately or unfortunately, we live in a society where money can buy us almost everything; at least it can provide you with utmost comfort. A pregnant couple would want to start saving from the very beginning of the pregnancy period in order to be financially sound so as to bear the expenses easily in future.
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Baby sitters and nurses can be employed to take care of the baby. Not only does this reduces your exhaustion but also gives you an ample amount of time for your immediate personal space.
However, while appointing a baby sitter, one must check the background of the baby sitter and select a highly experienced one. Having somebody to take care of your baby’s basic needs can also give you extra time to spend with it playing and doing other fun things; the most important fun activity for a parent is proper sleep.
Must read- How To Set A Bedtime Routine For Your Baby?
Since childhood, one is reminded constantly about the wonderful effects of a properly nutritious diet. Earlier, the source was science textbooks and now, they find their replacement in health magazines and blog posts. Having a diet rich in minerals and vitamins can help the mama and papa get rid of fatigue and lethargy that keeps them enchained throughout the day. The erratic hormonal ride can find a pleasant balming effect in a diet rich in all sorts of minerals. A healthy and balanced diet can maintain and regulate the body’s strength post-delivery and also help in keeping the body fully energetic.
Apart from these little tricks and tactics, there is one vanilla thing that can never ever fail you in fighting sleep deprivation and its annoying repercussions. Support. Mommy, daddy and child: the basic unit of the sanctified institution of the family. This institution can never fail if its wheels are heavily oiled with elements of mutual love and support. Sleep deprivation is majorly a psychologically stress-ridden condition. Maintaining a nice understanding relationship and extending heart-warming support to one’s partner can release hormones such as oxytocin which is responsible for uplifting one’s mood. Mental support can do wonders and strengthen the bond between the parents which will, in turn, lead to the greater strengthening of the relationship between the parents and the child.
A baby brings in extreme joy and gaiety in a couple’s life. If they are able to manage and cope up with the tiny pebbles of problems that cross their way, there is no power in the world that holds the capacity of stopping them from feeling and experiencing bliss.
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