Having a child is often portrayed as an exciting time for couples. However, it can also be a difficult period, especially for the mother. Aside from the difficulties experienced during pregnancy and labour, the new mother is also likely to be lacking sleep brought about by looking after the baby’s needs. All of this can make first-time mothers moody, irritable, and highly stressed.
If your partner is experiencing some pressure during the early stages of parenthood, there is actually a lot you can do to help her.
Take care of dinner
By the time night comes, mums are already tired because of what transpired during the day. Reader’s Digest Best Health recommends that partners take care of dinner, whether it means cooking the meal themselves or ordering out, so that the new mum no longer has one less thing to worry about. More importantly than eliminating the added exhaustion, the gesture make go a long way to proving that you care.
While you’re at it, why not do some of the other household chores such as washing the dishes or cleaning the house as well? Raising a baby is easier when working as a team, so make sure to help out on all fronts to lessen the load.
Take the night shift
Another way to help her out is to give her a breather, even if it’s just during bedtime. Tell her that you will be responsible for watching over your newborn so she’ll have more sleep. Even if there’s a need to nurse the baby in the middle of the night, Parenting.com suggests dads can do other tasks such as nappy changes so new mums can enjoy a few more hours of sleep.
Give her a massage
Mums who’ve just given birth are riddled with all sorts of aches and pains. A massage is a good way to alleviate muscle soreness. A post on Foxy Bingo shared tips for married couples including learning how to give a massage so that you can ease her weary muscles. It would be a good idea to give her a massage before bedtime to help her relax so she can fall asleep easier.
Be on call while she is breastfeeding
If part of your partner’s nightly ritual is to breastfeed or to pump milk, Smart Parenting states that males should be on-call so they will be able to provide immediate assistance if needed. You can also do some preparations early on like having some snacks and drinks ready, as well as making the bed to make sure that your partner is comfortable.
Nurture your partner
Most important of all, go beyond giving physical support. BellyBelly.com.au advises partners to always provide emotional support, whether it means listening to her problems and issues, or reassuring and comforting her when she feels down. Be patient with her, like how you were while she was still pregnant.
AUTHOR BIO: Susan Walker is a lifestyle and mommy blogger. When she’s not busy thinking about what her next article will be about, she dotes on her three kids, two girls and one boy.
Pillow Treasure
Monday 9th of October 2017
Hi Nicola! It's nice to read your story, coz it is what I am experiencing too. I am a young mother, and I understand that mother life is hard time, during which we, mothers, should be supported by our partners. Actually, I wish your post would be read by many men, so that woman could experience more happy and comfortable mother life. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing post! God bless you!