Introducing a newborn into your household comes with a load of logistical challenges. This new parent guide will help you find ways to make it work, so you’re not quite as overwhelmed when your baby finally arrives.

1. Consider a tag-team parenting approach

Talk to your spouse or partner about ways to balance parenting responsibilities so you both get much needed sleep. When you’re breastfeeding, for example, it can be hard for partners to feel like they can help. But when they retrieve the baby for feeding, change the diaper, and put the baby back in the crib after feeding, you may feel a lighter load on your shoulders. Plan trading off duties so you both get a break, even in the earliest days. If you’re a single parent, don’t hesitate to take up offers of help from friends or family; let them do your dishes, prep a meal, or hang out with your baby long enough to take a long shower and run to the grocery store.

2. Introduce your baby to the world

While it may offer comfort, it can also feel isolating watching the days on the calendar pass by when you’re caring for your little one at home. When your doctor and pediatrician say it’s safe, take your new baby out on the town. Consider spending short bursts of time at a coffee shop, enjoying a lunch date with friends, window shopping at the mall, or strolling through a park. Showing off your new little one can be an enjoyable experience for all. Try babywearing to keep your hands free and your new baby happy and close while you’re out and about.

3. Schedule time with your partner

Things that were easy, default activities before you had kids become exponentially harder as your family expands. Talk to babysitters or family and find time to go on a date with your partner. Making it a point to nurture your relationship is one of the best things you can do for your new baby – and for your relationship. In the very early newborn days, that might just mean setting aside time for a movie at home or a take-out dinner once you get the baby to sleep. As time passes, make it a legitimate date enjoying one of the many popular activities in the Beaver Dam area.

4. Break down housework

Getting household chores done with a new baby can feel like climbing Mount Everest during an avalanche. Try setting a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and do one task – anything! – that needs to be done around the house until the timer goes off. You might be surprised at how much you can get done in a short amount of time. This way, you’ll be able to spend time with your baby and get some rest (or sleep!) with fewer to-dos weighing you down.

As a new parent, adjusting to a newborn takes time and planning. In addition to the ideas featured in this new parent guide, request an appointment with our doctors and women’s health team to learn more ways you can prepare for your newborn.