Looking after a baby can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging. Taking care of your own wellbeing is an important part of caring for your baby.
Getting a good night’s sleep with a new-born/young baby can be challenging – but it is not impossible! Sleep is also so important to maintain your own wellbeing, to enable you to care for baby.
Whether you chose to use the ‘Cry it Out’ method of ‘sleep training’ with your baby (over 6 months) is up to you.
It is not recommended you use this method with babies under 6 months, as they need to know that you are attentive to their needs, and need to be soothed when upset, so that they can develop self-soothing techniques over time.
Useful links
Becoming pregnant or becoming a parent can bring many changes. These changes can affect how you feel and make it harder to manage your emotions. Changes to your daily routine and lifestyle can also be difficult. Some parents may feel lonely, worried, overwhelmed, or unsure where to go for help.
Everyone is different, but these tips may help:
- Make time for yourself, such as meeting friends, going for a meal, or being active.
- Be honest with your healthcare team, health visitor, and people around you if you need support.
- Remember that many parents have similar feelings.
- Try to look after your own needs by eating well, drinking enough water, and getting as much rest as you can.
‘Baby blues’ are strong feelings that many parents experience in the first few weeks after their baby is born. These feelings often include sadness, worry, or tearfulness. Baby blues are common and usually go away on their own after a few days.
Sometimes these feelings do not go away or become harder to manage. This may be a sign that you need extra support.
More than 1 in 10 mothers experience postnatal depression.
New parents can also experience mental health difficulties such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or postpartum psychosis.
If you are worried about your mental health, speak to your GP or health visitor.
In some cases, specialist perinatal mental health services may be able to help. The Together with Baby team can support you to access these services. You can also find more information in the resources section below.
Useful links
What to Expect Emotionally After Birth
The baby blues: what to expect
How to cope with parental loneliness
Maintaining healthy relationships and mental wellbeing
For a long time, dads were thought to be wired differently and thus not biologically made to be parents.
Recent evidence clearly shows that this is not the case. Men’s body and brain changes extensively when they become fathers.
Yet, dads (like mums) are not born, they are made. Practice is key. Dads need as much time as possible to interact & bond with their kids.
Dads can experience all the same feelings as Mums postnatally – this can be overlooked but it so important to recognise. Being a Dad who is struggling can be isolating, but Together with baby are here to help.
Useful links
Dads: How to bond with your baby and be at your best – BBC Tiny Happy People
Who Let The Dads Out? – Care for the Family
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