Tips for Finding Time With Your Partner If You’re New Parents
Posted on by Leslie Campos
Welcoming a child into the world is something you will never ever forget. What makes this even more special is sharing this journey with your partner as you provide each other with love and support along the way. Here's how to make sure you make time for each other during this special phase of life.
If you are the parents of a newborn and are finding it challenging to balance parenthood and your marriage, visit Marriage In A Box for customized relationship plans that will help you and your partner see eye to eye.
Share duties
Sharing the responsibilities of caring for a new baby will help you stay cool, calm, and collected as you tend to your newborn around the clock. Making sure you each handle a portion of diaper duty, cooking dinner, or washing laundry can also give you the time you need as an individual to take time out when you need to.
Go to bed early
As tempting as it is to want to maximize your day and make the most of it as you savor those sweet newborn moments, making sure you go to bed at an acceptable hour should ensure you feel well-rested the next day. If you are getting up multiple times during the night to feed the baby, then those extra minutes of precious sleep will make a world of difference in those first few months of sleep deprivation.
Also, if you are putting your newborn to sleep at a relatively early hour, this will allow you and your partner the time to catch up and spend time with each other before the day is done. Spending time with one another, even if it's just watching a movie or having a romantic dinner at home, will help keep the spark alive. Wearing something flirty and fun to bed at night should help too. A nightgown that also functions as a nursing gown is sure to help with spontaneous feeds during the night as well.
Keep things in perspective
As joyous as this time is with your precious bundle of love, it can also be a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding time in one's life, which, if left unchecked, can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety if you are left feeling overwhelmed most of the time. This is where keeping things in perspective will help you get through this phase. Remembering that your newborn will be oh so little for a very short period of time should encourage you to make the most of every moment with your baby as well as your partner so you can look back on this time with loving memories.
Working from home and caring for a newborn
Caring for a newborn is hard enough; if you work from home, this can be even more of a challenge if there is little separation between home and work life. To ensure you get the rest and rejuvenation you need, taking breaks, even if it's just for half an hour, can give you the mental and physical break your body needs to make it through a tiring day — and an even more tiring night. This is where having a partner available and on standby to assist you when you need to step out for a bit can be the saving grace you need not experience total burnout. Alternatively, you can get additional help from a trusted au pair or babysitter to watch over your child while you work.
Remember — don't feel guilty about taking time for yourself, and as a couple — you're going to need it to help you be an even better parent and partner to your new family.
Author bio:
Leslie Campos is the creator of wellparents.com, an online resource for busy parents who want to make their health a priority. With tips, tools, and resources to meet the needs of both body and mind, Leslie's site provides practical guidance on how to live a healthier life without sacrificing quality time with family. From nutrition advice to stress-management techniques, wellparents.com aims to support exhausted parents from around the world as they strive for greater well-being.
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