I’m 2 weeks into this whole parenting thing. I know what you’re thinking… what an expert, can’t wait to hear her advice! This isn’t any parenting advice, it’s just a reminder of some of the things you might have forgotten during those first two sleep deprived weeks of parenthood. 

The first two weeks of having a baby is a lot of navigating the unknown, learning new lessons, and recovering from labor, on top of taking care of a living breathing little human who depends on you for everything. 

Here are some lessons I’ve learned so far: 

1. Breastfeeding is HARD. 

I didn’t realize how hard breastfeeding was going to be. I just thought, you put the baby on your boob and boom- you feed them. I didn’t realize the intricacies of latching the baby properly, and the pain of doing it wrong. Not to mention trying to get used to something sucking on your nipples every 2-3 hours. And the fear of not producing any milk, and then wondering if your baby is starving. Feeding my baby wasn’t even in my top 5 concerns with adjusting to parenthood, and it quickly became my top concern. 

2. Accept help when it is offered. 

The last few weeks of my pregnancy I would get so irritated at all the “sleep while you can” and “enjoy sleeping while it lasts” comments, but as annoying as they are: they are real. Going from being my pregnant princess self getting 8 to 10 hours to getting 5 hours on a good night has been a tough transition. This is why when someone offers to watch my baby so that I can go take a nap, I am taking them up on that offer 11/10 times. The first few weeks is hard, so accepting help whether it’s a meal someone drops off or a helping hand so you can take a shower, goes a long way. 

3. Recovering from childbirth is major. 

I had a relatively easy birth, and still got a level 2 tear which involved some stitches. Even with that minimal level of damage, getting up from my bed in the hospital, and walking around was tough those first two days. You are bleeding like crazy, literally wearing a diaper, and all of your focus is on taking care of your baby, not yourself. Taking it easy and letting people help me was key to recovering. 

4. Having a supportive partner is EVERYTHING. 

I can see how having a baby as a single parent, or having a spouse/significant other that is stuck in the 1950s and refuses to change diapers or do any of the parenting duties needed to keep an infant alive would make this already difficult time so much more difficult. Being a team and working together has been a huge part of my first two weeks of parentings. God has blessed me with a husband who has changed the majority of the baby’s diapers so that I can rest after feeding him, who wants to hold our baby so that I can take a shower, and who is there to help and be the best father he can be. Finding that in a partner/co-parent is so important. 

5. I have never slept less, or smiled more. 

I find myself just staring at my son thinking “wow, I made this”. I have never experienced the level of joy that I feel when I look at him. It is worth all the sleepless nights, struggles to master breastfeeding, and everything else that comes along with it.