Becoming a parent is a life-changing moment one can go through their life. Holding your own baby with your bare hands is a next-level feeling one can have. The first touch is full of emotions, happiness, tears, and fear for the child to be safe. So, we can say, that the feeling of becoming a parent is a kind of rollercoaster newly made mother and father go through a spectrum of different kinds of emotions, on the one hand, they experience great joy, excitement, and anticipation but on the other hand, they are full of anxiety, uncertainty, and exhaustion.
This emotional rollercoaster feeling starts even before the baby is born. When the couple got to know about the pregnancy news, they started showing their emotions. During the pregnancy, they feel a range of emotions. They may feel worried about if they really want to become parents or if they make any mistake in taking care of the little baby.
After the baby is born, their feelings start taking a different shape. The feeling of newness is so overwhelming, but with this, they may feel exhausted due to lack of sleep and may find it difficult to fit into a new routine. And still worrying about the decision to become a parent. Despite this, they find it very wholesome to spend time with the newborn and feel it immense joy, and start loving their baby unconditionally and also, they also start feeling a sense of responsibility that they never felt before.
This article will cover what are the common feelings that a parent experiences when they newly become a parent.
1) Joy and happiness:
The moment parent first see their child they feel a different level of joy and excitement. They feel overwhelmed by seeing their baby and feel grateful for being a parent. They look forward to the joy of raising their child and the unique experiences that come with this.
2) Love and attachment:
Parents start showing unconditional love towards their child when they first touch their child and the bond they create, this connectivity is unique in nature and this immediate bond is one of the most beautiful aspects of parenthood.
3) Anxiety and uncertainty:
It is very normal to have anxiety if new challenges are faced by anyone and for a couple it is one of the toughest challenges to parent a newborn baby. They often may worry about how they will be able to manage this responsibility and this causes anxiety and uncertainty among them.
4) Learning:
While raising their child, a parent got to learn various things. They learn about the child’s development, communication style, and the real thing of patience as they navigate the challenges of raising a child. Parental learning is done in parallel with the growth of a child.
5) Responsibility:
Becoming a parent is a greater responsibility one can own and this increases with the growth of the child. In the initial days, it may feel tiresome to adjust the schedule and like a disturbance in maintaining the days, but the parents got to know their responsibilities.
6) Sacrifices:
Due to the child, parents often sacrifice their choice and wants. It is specifically apt for a mother, if a woman is working they pause their work for a while because of the child. And even the father also sacrifices a lot. This feeling of sacrifice is often unconditional and chosen by their own choice. With great feeling of becoming a parent comes with great emotional distress and coping with the emotional distress.
So, the following are some tips for coping with the emotional challenges of becoming a parent.
- Communicate: If you feel that being a parent is emotionally distressing, try to communicate with the elder who has great experience of taking care of a child. They can share their experience which can be helpful for you to tackle the situation.
- Self-care: It is important to take care of yourself. Parenting can be tiresome and you might not be able to spend quality time with yourself and even take care of yourself. For this thinking about yourself is also important.
- Learn to adapt: It is not normal for anyone to suddenly adapt to anything, give yourself some time and then learn to adapt to the changes. Be prepared for the change in your daily routine and sleep. But remember the fact that adaptability can reduce stress.
- Take a Break: it is okay to take short breaks, if you are feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and rest for some time. Taking a shorter break is okay.
- Practice Patience: Patience is the real key if you are dealing with a child. You have to function patiently at every step. Children go through the phases and these phases remain temporally. All you have to do is have some patience to deal with them.
Becoming a parent is a challenging but rewarding experience. By taking care of yourself and reaching out for support, you can navigate the emotional challenges of parenthood and enjoy this special time in your life.
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