Dealing with babies is challenging for the most part, and as a mother or caregiver, one can’t help but wonder if dealing with babies ever gets easier at some point.
This is a feeling usually characterized by FRUSTRATION at best.
And the TRICKY part?
Parenting is a responsibility you can’t EASILY wave off, provided the baby is already birthed.
And oftentimes, such a situation makes parenting feels like a setup—it’s like no one prepared you for it; no one told you it was going to be this complicated, and now you’re just expected to ride with it.
It’s not fair, I agree.
But just as a piece of hope, dealing with babies won’t always be difficult—it eventually gets easier at some point, and that alone should give you the patience to push through the challenging phase of dealing with babies.
Babies eventually become easier to deal with around 3 to 4 months—they begin to sleep for extended periods and develop a more defined feeding pattern.
However, understand that every baby is unique in their development mode, and that’s why some babies might remain challenging to deal with until 5 to 6 months. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong; it’s just nature.
When Does My Baby Become Easier To Deal With?
Parenting your baby becomes easier as they reach milestones like learning to self-soothe, growing out of colic, and sleeping uninterrupted at night.
You may anticipate that by the time your baby is around 3 months old, caring for them will be a lot simpler; however, it will get better with each passing day.
Lastly, ensure that you’re taking care of yourself while you eagerly await the day when taking care of your infant becomes simpler.
Is It Possible For My Baby To Become Easier At 6 Weeks?
Perhaps you’ve heard that after 6 weeks, newborns become simpler.
As a result, you’ve started the countdown to the sixth week just like you would for Christmas.
First off, always keep in mind that every infant is unique. So even if you have twins, try avoiding using a specific determinant for both.
Even though they’ll be scheduled for your infant by 6 weeks, you might still notice that your 6-week-old baby is cluster-feeding constantly, waking up during the night, undergoing a growth spurt, or is simply being particularly fussy.
Another vital thing to keep in mind is how frequently newborns change. They may act in a specific way today & an entirely different manner the following day.
This can be surprising.
However, there are typically weeks when your newborn appears to nurse continuously (called cluster feeding) & weeks when they grow faster (growth spurts).
Babies might be particularly cranky, clinging, challenging, and exhausting during these weeks.
Babies typically cluster feed around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks old.
Advice For Surviving The First Three Months With Your Infant
Are you concerned about how you’ll get through the first 12 weeks of having a baby (specifically, how to survive this stage)?
Here are 7 helpful tips that will help you and your newborn.
Self Care
Every mum should be required to practice self-care—especially a new mother.
Women give so much and don’t take the time to refill themselves, which makes them burn out.
Don’t believe self-care is expensive; you may end up deciding it is not for you. Though it’s not always straightforward, it is feasible with proper planning.
Some mothers find that proposing time off as a push present is a helpful way to plan their self-care.
As a result, you request a 15-minute, 30-minute, or 1-hour time out whenever you feel the need.
The baby can be cared for by your husband or any other caregiver during this time.
What can you do for self-care?
One thing you should consider for low-cost self-care is to take a shower first. You’d be shocked at how liberating it can be to take a shower without continuously worrying if your child would wake up.
Attend A Course That Treats Birth Issues For Parents.
Most first-time mothers don’t know what to anticipate, contributing significantly to the stress associated with caring for a newborn child.
What behavior is typical and what is not is unclear to you.
Because you are constantly monitoring your baby’s respiration at night, you cannot get any rest. I’ve been there, so I know.
Babies frequently change, which can be confusing for a new mother who is yet to understand that it’s common among babies.
“Whenever my boy changed his routines, I panicked because I kept thinking he had a problem.”
No need to panic; He was acting like a baby in reality!
For many first-time mothers, this ignorance about typical baby behavior results in a lack of confidence in themselves—this might make them question their competence about being a good mother, which is unhealthy for you and detrimental to your baby.
For this reason, if you’re a mother who lacks experience in parenting, you should consider attending a course that handles birth issues.
Feeding A Child
Many pregnant mothers underestimate the effort and time required to feed a newborn child. Either through nursing or bottle feeding.
Nursing your infant will take up most of your time in the first twelve weeks after becoming a mother.
This results from babies’ tiny stomachs quickly filling and emptying.
The difficulty for nursing mothers is that they are both still learning the breastfeeding technique.
And breastfeeding can be difficult for many mothers, especially in the early weeks, when they may experience tongue-tie, bruised and sore nipples, a poor latch, problems with their milk production, etc.
Mums who are formula feeding also face difficulties, including overfeeding, on-the-go feeding, preparing feeds for the night, using the correct measurements, and getting their babies to agree to the type of formula they have selected.
This is another factor that may have new mothers wondering when parenting will become simpler.
The great news is that most nursing mothers would have formed their milk production and gotten through the first problems by the 12-week milestone.
The same holds for mothers who use formula.
Before your baby is born, enrolling in a top-notch breastfeeding class can simplify things for you.
That said, I highly suggest you take a course on breastfeeding.
Additionally, Stacy Notestine, RN, IBCLC, who instructs this course, discuss the difficulties that can arise from nursing and how to deal with them.
Sleep
Here Are Some Things You Have To Do To Sleep Peacefully With Your Baby
- Hire a postpartum doula or a night nurse. Knowing better now, I might have saved some money or tried not to be excessively cheap and hired a postpartum attendant to assist me in caring for my newborn child during those first few weeks.
- Take assistance when it is provided. More essential, have a checklist of the errands you require assistance with close to hand. So you know where to direct anyone who offers to assist.
- Sleep every day when your child sleeps, even if you can’t always sleep (perhaps you have a toddler too). Try to nap at least once a day to feel more rejuvenated.
- Prepare twice or triple the food when cooking and freeze it in advance.
- Make a subscription payment for food.
- Request takeout,
- Let family and friends prepare meals for you.
As already stated, follow your best judgment!
For example, I wouldn’t say I like to cook. Yet, cooking was a huge stress source for me during those first few weeks.
If you don’t have friends in town who could assist, you should employ a meal subscription service.
- Prepare straightforward meals in advance so you will not be concerned about catering while caring for my infant and child. Or using a subscription service for food.
Eat Well
Being a new parent is exhausting!
You worry, feed, change diapers, and watch over your baby while she sleeps. But, unfortunately, lack of sleep also worsens all of these problems.
It can be overwhelming.
The body is refueled with energy and power by eating, especially when it is done effectively. Additionally, you require a ton of energy for your daily tasks.
I wouldn’t have used a meal subscription service if I could go back in time because I didn’t have any friends in town who could assist me.
Know Yourself
You must understand how vital self-awareness is to a new mother’s life.
Moreover, knowing and being truthful with oneself is of the utmost importance.
Making food will be a challenge, though. However, there are several alternatives available to new parents.
The newborn period is challenging for every new parent, mainly the new mother. Additionally, every new mother has general stressors, including sleep loss, fatigue, weariness, feeding issues, etc.
However, each mother experiences specific pressures, which might differ significantly.
While Mum B will likely be concerned about it, Mum A might be okay with an untidy home.
This, in my opinion, is among the most crucial aspects of adjusting to your newborn’s first few weeks.
Recognize yourself and never forget that your emotions are real and your feelings matter too.
Be aware of the things that stress you out concerning the new baby & family relationships.
Find out what empowers and relaxes you.
Understand the things that bring you joy.
Find activities that fill you up!
It’s discovered that cooking or even contemplating what to do for dinner was a regular source of stress for me. Yet, simultaneously, I found that taking a shower gave me energy.
Consult With Friends
Caring for a newborn baby takes a lot of labor, so you may occasionally want to talk to someone who will listen to your experiences, concerns, and anecdotes.
Find an aid/support group you can communicate with. Ideally, mothers who understand you, like you.
Try talking to several of your friends if you are having trouble breastfeeding,
Knowing better, you can join several Facebook mom groups searching for a secure space to vent about motherhood.
You can find many private mom groups on Facebook by searching for them. Many in your area.
Use caution while sharing online and avoid disclosing personal security information.
Or if you have relatives and close friends who understand you, contact and talk to them frequently.
Conclusion
As a new mother, you might wonder when dealing with babies will eventually become easier.
And, as I’ve mentioned, there’s still hope!
Barring unforeseen circumstances, things should get much better in 12 weeks and even better each month after.
Try to put at least a few coping strategies discussed above into practice before the 12 weeks.