5 Lessons Learned from First-Time Parents via. The Pacific Standard

This post has been sponsored by Gerber. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It’s no surprise that parenthood is a journey in both patience and practice, and there are plenty of lessons to learn as first-time parents. We recently welcomed our own baby girl to our family, and Kevin and I are still finding our way as newly appointed Mother and Father. The significance of the titles are certainly not lost on either of us, and we take our newly appointed roles seriously. Even with reading books, taking classes, and going into our delivery feeling prepared, there were still plenty of postpartum hurdles that we hadn’t anticipated. Starting from the day we arrived home to just a few days ago, we’re still finding our rhythm and learning new things about ourselves and parenthood. Today, we’re sharing five things that we hope will help you navigate the waters as you prepare for or continue to care for your little one—such as preparing for hurdles and relying on Gerber® Probiotic Drops for a seamless step into parenthood.

DELIVERY/LABOR MAY NOT GO ACCORDING TO PLAN

In the perfect world, babies would be welcomed on time, delivered clean, and put on the chest of a perfectly made-up mother to be. Well, I hate to break the illusion but... delivery is nothing like the movies. It’s not like I actually thought things would align as they do on TV, but I had some visions that things would happen in a timely order, which for me, they did not. In fact, when it was finally go-time, I actually had to call my husband (who was advised by the nursing staff to get some food and fresh air) to get back to the hospital. Thankfully, he wasn’t too far and our parents were able to wrap things up at the restaurant while he RAN back to the hospital. 15 minutes after he got back into the room, our baby arrived!

While it wasn’t as neat and tidy as we had made our 6-page birth plan to be, it did get us one happy and healthy little lady. It really just goes to show that even the first step into parenthood can be unplanned, disorganized, and rushed.

WHAT’S THAT NOISE?

Caring for a newborn can create unwarranted anxiety as you’ve never quite experienced before. During our first night in the hospital, I stayed up watching Evie sleep. I’d hear her little coos or rustles and assume she was uncomfortable or wanted to be held when in fact, she was just perfectly fine in her bassinet. The first few days at home were very similar, and we found ourselves taking turns holding her when she’d make even the smallest of sounds. While our concern for her comfort was a good thing, our overbearing feeling that something was wrong wasn’t the case. We’ve quickly grown to find that our little girl loves to move and make noises when she sleeps. Trust your instincts; you’ll grow to learn the needs of your baby, especially when they are fussy!

FUSSINESS IS REAL!

So often in books, we're told to swaddle, change, or feed our little ones for a cure-all to their cries, but what if even those don’t work? Three weeks into our parenthood journey, our baby became incredibly fussy and fell into an off sleeping habit that had us running in circles and on endless sleep. We couldn’t figure out what was wrong and felt somewhat hopeless at times when we tried to soothe her little cries. Finally, we realized that while she was showing us signs—we weren’t reading them (or didn’t know how). It wasn’t until a late night google session that I found out our baby was dealing with discomfort from spit-ups and being gassy.

When we went to search for suggested products to soothe her, Gerber® Soothe Probiotic Drops were amongst the top recommendations and happened to be conveniently available at Walmart. It's no wonder it's the #1 pediatrician-recommended brand for colic*! The drops contain the probiotic L.reuteri, which improves good bacteria in your baby’s digestive system*. So we were able to easily add 5 drops to her bottles during feedings. After the first few uses, we noticed a change in her sleeping where she was much less fussy and slept soundly for the first time in weeks! Not to mention, it was so reassuring to hear that it is clinically shown to reduce crying time and spit ups**. Plus, it provides so much comfort to tiny tummies.

ZIPPERS ARE YOUR FRIEND!

Your little one will most likely go through 10-15 diaper changes each day, often times going through a few within minutes of a clean change. You’ll quickly grow to learn that zippered onesies are much more manageable and will be your new best friend. I wish I would have known this when I registered, as I wouldn’t have added nearly as many snap-style onesies. There really isn’t anything more frustrating than trying to close a dozen tiny snaps when you're running on 2 hours of sleep and have a crying baby on the changing table.

As if that isn’t enough, you’ll find that your baby loves to wiggle and contort their little bodies while you're in the process of changing. The first few days, we approached this changing time as if our little one was made of porcelain when in fact, they’re much more flexible than you’d imagine! Guiding them through the process by bunching up the sleeves of your onesie will make the process that much quicker.

Whether you have a partner, co-parent, or are a single mother or father, caring for a newborn is a serious learning experience. There will be days when you feel like you are doing things wrong and others when you feel on top of the world! Be open to the process and be prepared to learn from mistakes and change your expectations. Even though we’re still very early in our journey, being parents is still our favorite role and we wouldn’t change it for the world!

Big thank you to Gerber for sponsoring this post! Buy Gerber® Probiotic Drops at Walmart and earn $5.00 Cash Back on Ibotta on one (1) Gerber Probiotic Drops! Restrictions Apply