What To Expect The First Year of Having a Baby

Have you recently welcomed your first little one into the family? If so, then you might be wondering what to expect here. Here are some of the key occurrences that you’ll face in the first year. 

Gifts

 

You’ll need to buy a lot of different things as a new parent. It’s important to make sure that you do buy everything that your child needs. For instance, you might be thinking about breastfeeding your child. If that’s the case, then a breast pump could be a great choice. This will allow you to produce the milk in bulk and then you can keep it in a freezer so that you always have it on hand and available. This is a life saver in case you can’t produce it on demand which some young mothers do struggle with. 

 

That’s just one example of something that you will need to purchase of course. There are lots of other possibilities worth considering as well. For instance, you might need to think about clothing. While babies do grow quite quickly, it’s still worth investing in lots of different types of clothing. That way, you can make sure that you don’t have to worry about not having any clean clothes when your little one spews everywhere. They tend to do this a lot in your first few months and you don’t want all the clothes to be in the wash when you need an outfit. The good news is that you can get outfits you need as gifts. Make sure you write a list of the newborn baby gifts you want for when your friends and family inevitably ask you about this.

Changes to your body

It’s not just the baby that’s going to bring a new dimension of change to your life. A lot of women can be surprised by just how much their body changes after they first give birth. It can include changes to your skin, your hair, not to mention your weight. Some of these changes (such as temporary hair loss) tend to go away on their own, but there are surgical options that can help you recover, so it might be worth looking at a mommy makeover recovery timeline. Either way, talk to your doctor about some of the changes you can expect so you don’t get caught off guard.

Teething

 

Next, you need to think about teething. There’s no set rule for when babies will first show signs of their baby teeth. However, it’s quite common for them to start to come in around six months. This is when the process of teething begins and former parents remember this time with absolute dread. Your baby will cry a lot more than usual because they’ll be in pain. So, you need to make sure that you do have the right things on hand. That includes medication to treat the pain. This is available over the counter so you don’t need to visit a doctor. 

 

There are tell tale signs of teething. You can feel their gums to check if the teeth are starting to come through. You might also want to think about feeling their cheeks. If they are in pain from teething, then it’s likely that their cheeks will feel hot and they could look quite red too. 

Milestones 

 There are various milestones that you’ll experience with your child through the first year. For instance, they’ll learn to roll over, then sit up and eventually sit up by themselves without needing any support. Things progress quite quickly from here with babies learning to crawl before eventually standing unsupported and then they take their first steps. This is a magic moment but don’t worry if you miss the first time because you are working or have other responsibilities. It will be incredible regardless of whether the first time you see this happen is the actual first time. 

 

There are average times online where babies go through these different milestones. However, we’re not going to list them here because every baby is different. To give you an example, some babies will skip over the process of crawling and go straight to walking. Of course, during this time, your baby will also start to speak and become more attentive to what is happening around them. It’s important to make sure that you are regularly speaking to your little one and keeping them engaged. You also need to have things for them to play with that will help stimulate their mind and help them develop. 

 

Bed Trouble 

 

Parents can have problems with bedtimes for children when they are in their first year. It’s quite common for babies to struggle to sleep through the night. Part of the reason for this is that they need feeding halfway through the night. This is easier if you are breastfeeding because you don’t have to worry about preparing the formula. However, regardless of the route you take here, you can try to dream feed your little one. This means feeding them while they are still asleep. This can be accomplished because the baby will naturally latch and you can feed them gently before putting them back to sleep without any disturbances.

 

This isn’t the only problem that you can have at bedtime. You might also hit a problem with getting your little one to sleep in their own room. By about six months, your child is starting to develop attachments. So, it’s recommended that you do try and get them sleeping in their own bed and their own room before this point. Some parents are nervous about having their child in a separate room. But there are some great baby monitors on the market these days that will allow you to keep track of everything that is happening. This will give you the right peace of mind. 

 

Fun With Food 

 

Finally, parents can have great fun when it’s time to start feeding their child the first solid foods. This can be a messy process that will require some patience. The good news is that with a little determination, you’ll have your little one feeding themselves in no time. Getting them used to cutlery is trickier and can come far later. You’ll also need to make sure that you do invest in a high chair that is easy to clean. Washing machine friendly covers are definitely your friend here. 

 

We hope this helps you understand everything that you need to know as a new parent in the first year and what you can expect. While some of the milestones are amazing, others can be quite stressful. You just need to persevere and try to have fun watching your baby grow because it will be over in what can seem like the blink of an eye.