Becoming a parent for the first time and making those inevitable changes is never easy but it must be done. For women who are new to the role of “mom,” know that preparing in advance is the best idea.
Whatever you can do ahead of time beats a last-minute rush. Also, adjusting to your new life is required to manage different space requirements, altered schedules, relationship changes, and more.
So, let’s now consider what changes to expect or make when becoming a new parent.
1. Expect Relationship Distance at Times
If you’re bringing up a child as a couple, then you may notice some distance between the two of you when the baby comes home. This is natural because almost all attention is being focused on the little one. At this point, you’re using the knowledge of your partner and going with the flow because you’re both managing a new situation.
This does tend to create a distance without even realizing it because couples time and time alone has gone. Someone also has to get up to take care of the baby when he or she cries. Nevertheless, it’s important to make time together to reconnect. This can be as simple as that precious half-hour or longer when the baby is finally asleep where you can spend time together again. It’s important not to waste those moments.
And when your baby is older, making time for date night by getting a babysitter in is important too.
2. Prepare for Interrupted Sleep
Sleep is difficult when having a new child. When one of you are working full-time, then sleep deprivation is a real issue.
While it’s often a good idea to take it in turns to take care of the baby, this runs into difficulty when one of you is on leave while the other is working and bringing home the bacon. If the working partner gets too sleep-deprived, it could have safety or work consequences that are unforeseen at the time.
Some partners handle this by sleeping in a spare bedroom. Or napping in the evening and at the weekend to strategically catch up on sleep. Such is the need to not continually be running at a deficit.
3. Intimacy Will Be Reduced (But That Doesn’t Mean Anything)
Intimacy is difficult after having a baby. The woman’s body has been through an extremely traumatic event that is hard for her partner to ever fully comprehend. They’ll need time to heal and feel relatively normal again, all while taking care of a new person in the household too.
Men in the relationship need to understand that low libido is normal for a woman after childbirth. Also, things like a lack of sleep is another valid reason. Exhaustion doesn’t make romantic or sensual thoughts easy to come by.
Both partners must give themselves time to adjust. However, this will pass in time. In the meantime, don’t forget to be thoughtful and kind because that goes a long way in any relationship.
4. The Need for More Space May Require a Move
This is one to certainly consider before your child arrives. When you go from a couple to a small family you certainly will need more space.
In which case, looking for a new place to buy is a good idea. However, this process can take months or even years, leaving you struggling in the meantime. In this situation, it may make sense to rent out your existing home (or leave if it’s a rental) and rent a place that’s large enough to accommodate all of you.
Blueground provides well-appointed, upmarket apartments for discerning renters looking for something better in an excellent location. They have a collection of apartments to look at online – you can find more information here about furnished apartments in the Bay Area of San Francisco. With a furnished apartment, this is the ideal solution. You can still be close to where you might work with a city center-based apartment and be on the hunt.
You can rent an apartment that works for you, whilst hunting for the right home. They offer both long term and short-term solutions so the short-term solution will benefit you. Before you know if, you’ll have enough space for your small family.
5. Social Life Will Be Different
Being able to go out socially is impacted when you have a child. Either your baby has to be old enough for an experienced sitter to be a sensible option or you’ll need to go out separately. Dragging yourself away from your baby is especially difficult and can create guilt when doing so. But it’s still important to do it.
It’s perfectly valid for the mom to want to have a night out with the girls. Also, she may find that she’s made new friends with other recent moms and enjoys their company too. It’s a great way to refresh the mind and recharge.
Similarly, the other person in the relationship also needs their personal time and time away for the same reasons.
6. Travel Might Get Suspended for a While
It stands to reason that travel is probably off the cards until the baby is old enough to handle it.
Travel is so much different with a baby coming along than it was as a couple. The types of vacations in the future are more likely to be family-oriented ones too.
It’s fair to say that life will never be the same again as a new parent. And that’s okay. Just prepare for what can be anticipated and deal with the rest as it happens.
Had kids a while ago, and everything that this article said ring true in my life… Lol, thanks for reminding me on how much my life has changed hahaa.