The List of Things Family Members Can Do To Help Out After Baby
Having a baby is one of the biggest life changes that anyone can experience. That means that the new parents' lives will be turned upside down as the baby will need all of the attention and focus. A newborn needs to be changed, fed, and comforted during the day and the night which means the new parents will not end up getting much sleep.
Being sleep deprived is extremely taxing as it is. Especially after the mom going through the physical trauma of giving birth, and the dad is emotionally affected as well! This means the parents will need to do what they can to rest and catch up on sleep as much as possible in order to properly take care of their baby. Help from friends and family is most definitely needed, and here is a list of the type of help they can provide:
Order In or Make and Deliver Meals
The parents will not be in any shape to cook which means they may be so tired and tied up with the new baby that even making a simple phone call for takeout is too much. Family members and friends can go and order food for the exhausted parents, or they can make them delicious homemade dishes.
Help Clean the House and Do Laundry
The last thing the new parents need to worry about is having to do any type of house chores while they are tending to their brand new baby. The family members and friends even can go and help the parents out by either taking care of the laundry, cleaning the dishes, and cleaning the house. Or, someone can send them a gift of hiring a maid service for a few days while the new parents are adjusting to the new baby to take care of the housework for them.
Family Members Running Errands Is a Great Help
How can the new parents have the energy and time to run out and shop for groceries or run other errands when they have a brand new baby to take care of? The family members can help out by running errands for the exhausted parents. Or if they can't do it themselves, there are services around such as grocery delivery that will be able to help out. The family members can have those services arranged for the new parents.
Caring For Pets
If the new parents have a pet, they will not be able to have the time and energy to care for the pet when there is a new baby properly this means that any family member or trusted friend who likes their pet will want to consider taking some time to take the pet until there is a routine established.
Keep a Careful Eye on Both Parents
It is talked about often how new mothers or mothers of newborns even if she has older kids can be at risk for developing postpartum mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Any type of excessive signs of sadness, isolation, a loss of interest in doing things that were once enjoyable, changes in appetite, and excessive mood swings need to be taken seriously. However, new dads can experience postpartum depression as well, due to the sudden change in life. If either or both parents are exhibiting signs of depression, then they need help and need to see a doctor right away.
That means if you have a family member or friend who is expecting very soon, you will want to do what you can to help them out after the baby arrives. They will not have the energy and capacity to worry about anything else that you can help them with!
“Please note: This article is only informative and should be read as such. To seek professional advise kindly contact your pediatrician or The American Academy of Pediatrics.”