Becoming a new parent is hard enough as it is without having to do it in quarantine. You’ve only just made the choice between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding with the best baby formula, you’re able to get out and connect with other parents, then boom everything changed.
The outside world and all its support systems for new parents came to a halt.
It’s difficult, and it is unprecedented, but there are things you can do to find your footing and remain positive until things can return to some sort of normal.
To help you in this mission, here are five tips to make quarantine life easier for you as a new parent:
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Enjoy The Fact That You Can Stay At Home
Once you recovered from the intensity of childbirth, you may have found yourself feeling pressure to go out and do lots. This can be a hectic time for new parents, especially with everyone wanting to meet your new addition.
Lots of parents will tell you that they would have loved to have set up clearer boundaries when it comes to family visitations. And oh to have an excuse or reason to just stay at home with the baby with nowhere to go!
Truly enjoy this time with your new baby – no pressure from visitors, no pressure from other parents, just time to exist together. Bliss.
2. Move Slowly
It’s easy to feel as though you should be whirring around at the speed of light, getting lots done as a new parent.
You don’t have to rush around to get anywhere during lockdown, so why not move slowly and appreciate what it is that you’re getting done, even if it’s just watching baby play or sleep.
There’s no need to rush feeding or frantically tidy up after your baby has made a mess playing. You’ve got nowhere to go – take your time.
3. Stay Connected
Being a new parent can be isolating even with a partner. 52% of new parents feel both lonely and socially isolated, something quarantine certainly doesn’t help with.
Make the effort to keep outside connections going. Use all of the available technologies to reach out and stay connected, even if it’s just a half-hour chat.
4. Keep Life Interesting
It’s a huge learning curve having a baby, but life can still get boring, especially when you can’t go out. Keep things interesting for both you and your baby by implementing ideas like these:
- Go into the garden at different times of the day and in different weather;
- Take your baby to look out of different windows;
- Mix up the books you read;
- Change the toys your baby plays with;
- Why not tune into a free baby yoga Youtube video?
Having plenty of variation in your routine can make quarantine feel a little less like a day playing out on repeat, so it’s worth changing things up even in the smallest of ways.
5. Stay Healthy
When you’ve had a baby, your mental health can be vulnerable, and it can be easy to allow your physical health to slip too. Exercise can help with both your physical and mental health.
This is a great time to get moving with your baby, going for walks, and getting outside if you’re able to. These small trips are fantastic because you’re in nature, enjoying the fresh air, and getting at least a little time out of the house.
The tips above can help life in quarantine with your new baby feel that little bit easier. This is such a difficult time, but if your baby is happy and healthy, and you’re happy and healthy, that’s what matters most.
