New parents can attest to the fact that there is a lot of information regarding newborns and newborn care. Abundant in today’s world are books, videos, articles, pamphlets, seminars, classes, etc. All of which can help to arm you with the knowledge you need to masterfully handle the task of parenting a newborn…and then reality throws you a curveball.
As nice as it is to think that you’ve studied hard enough to handle parenting your newborn, like a proverbial piece of cake, there are just too many factors at play! Of those factors, the fact that there are as many things society doesn’t tell you about newborns as there are things society does tell you.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at the things society fails to tell you about parenting your newborn. Whether you’re reading this article for tips and tricks for being a better parent, or having a good laugh by reflecting over the newborn days, you’ll be better equipped to expect the unexpected!
1. Raising them gets harder before it gets easier
If you’re a new parent, this is especially true. If you’re not, this entry is still worth its salt. In any case, there’s a common misconception in the parenting world that claims you’ll get the hang of parenting. And, it’ll get easier in time–and it does–but it’s always darkest before dawn.
You’ll be overwhelmed, underslept, mad, sad, glad–you name it, you’ll experience it. It only gets tougher for the first few weeks. Thankfully, it gets easier eventually, but not until after a tremendous slope of difficulty right off the bat.
2. Babies have to learn how to breastfeed
Despite what you’ve been told about a baby being naturally and instinctively able to breastfeed, the reality of it is quite the opposite. Babies are equipped with the reflexive instinct to suck, but they don’t know when and where to do so without a little guidance. In case you didn’t know, this means that you actually have to guide and train your baby to the breast so that they can do the rest.
Don’t get taken by surprise, parents! Learn the things that you may not know about newborns here!
3. Newborns have terrifying breathing patterns
One of the scariest, cardiac arrest inducing, pieces of wisdom that society has failed to impart on parents is the fact that they have breathing patterns that are best described as terrifying. Not all the time, but enough times to make your heart skip a beat! Occasionally, they’ll stop breathing for 5 to 10 seconds before resuming as usual. It’s a regular occurrence and it’s just their brains trying to configure to what “normal breathing” is, and how to do it.
4. Pacifiers are pretty much useless
As much as older babies love and use pacifiers, newborns and pacifiers don’t really mix. Some babies can find relief in sucking on their binky at such a young age, but many don’t. There are more efficient ways to soothe a newborn, and parents shouldn’t walk into parenting thinking that the pacifier is one cure-all for crying newborns.
5. Babies have blemishes just like you
A baby’s skin is generally thought of as being smooth and flawless. In reality, babies are as susceptible to blemishes as puberty afflicted teenager! Your baby will get rashes, and even pimples in some cases. They’ll need to be properly washed, and cleansed to have the cliche baby skin you’re thinking of, so stay on top of your parenting game if you wan them to have perfect skin.
Don’t get taken by surprise, parents! Learn the things that you may not know about newborns here!
6. Diaper duty is grosser than you thought
There’s a pretty good understanding that potty time for babies is pretty gross. You’ve probably seen scenes in a movie where a baby who’s getting changed lets loose and fires a stream of pee out at the parent who’s hanging them. Well, that might happen, but parents should probably know (since society failed to tell them) that potty time can get a lot grosser.
I’m not gonna sit here and expatiate on the dirty details, but just trust me hen I say that society has failed to properly express the level of grossness that is reached while on diaper duty.
7. You’ll become an insanely light sleeper
You probably ascertained that your sleep schedule would fluctuate and drastically change now that you’re parenting a newborn. What you may not have been told is how that will drastically change your quality of sleep and your ability to sleep. In fact, you’ll find for quite some time after your baby has grown out of the newborn stage, the slightest bump in the night will have you alert and attentive. For better or worse, you’ll be an insanely light sleeper!
8. It’s possible to miss your baby…while in the same room
This sounds like an over-exaggeration, but it really is possible! Think about it: you’ll constantly be with your baby; holding them, nurturing them, just generally caring for them. The moment you put your baby down, you might start to feel a distance between you, and you’ll do what you can to bridge the gap. You’ve heard that you’ll miss your child…but society never told you it would be this bad!
This article originally appeared on Mom.Me
READ: 10 Weird and wacky facts about your newborn baby
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