Avery Bullock is a freelance writer from North Carolina. Avery is passionate about creating exclusive articles on many different topics, including family lifestyle, parenting, and awareness. She contributed the following article to publish on our website. Her email address is: averybullock[“at” symbol]livestowrite[dot]com

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There is little doubt that of all of the tasks and responsibilities we face in life, raising children is quite probably the most difficult one. And within that particular chore, there is even less doubt that the most stressful and mind-numbing period occurs when the child is a newborn baby. Between the incessant crying, constant feedings, never-ending diaper changes, and late-night wakeups, it is enough to make even the most dedicated parents question their own sanity.

But have no fear, because this stage most certainly doesn’t last forever, and believe it or not, one day you will actually look back fondly on it and even miss it. But we know none of that does anything to keep you from pulling your hair out right now, so we thought presenting you with some helpful tips and suggestions for how to reduce your stress during this oh-so-difficult period might be welcomed:

While this is always a good idea for maintaining a happy and healthy home life, it becomes exponentially more important when already dealing with the stress of a newborn. Not to mention the fact that the added frustration from the job that you are bringing home with you is also going to affect your partner, basically creating a domino effect of continually increasing stress for both you and the baby.

You might think that this goes without saying, but you would be surprised how many parents plan a big task sometimes just weeks after the birth of a child. Don’t try to be some kind of super-parent. Put off that home improvement project, vacation, or other big activity you had planned until you settle into the routine of being a mom or dad. All you need to focus on right now is making sure that the little one, as well as you and your partner, are doing well.

In today’s world where virtually every task and errand can be picked up by a gig service, there has never been a better time to beg off on all of the little things that now seem so much more difficult and time-consuming. You can have anything from food delivery and dog-walking to grocery shopping done for you.

There is no reason not to take advantage of these major stress-relieving services. Just make sure to figure it into your monthly budget so you don’t create an entirely new source of stress by being overextended financially.

There are so many helpful and encouraging websites, blogs, journals, and instructional articles online today with advice about almost any possible situation you can think of. The difficulties and tricks of raising a newborn baby are no different. All it takes is a few quick clicks in a search engine and you will have more useful information than you could possibly go through in one sitting. Pick the tips that you think would be the most beneficial to you and your baby and get started on them immediately!

It can’t be overstated just how important this is. Failure to get enough sleep has serious consequences and numerous negative consequences even for people who don’t have any of the frustrations associated with raising a new baby. For those who are struggling in this area, a lack of sleep will only compound matters exponentially.

These are always good practices for anybody, parents or not. But they can be especially helpful in reducing stress, relieving tension, and relaxing muscles for folks who are having problems in all of those areas as a result of dealing with their newborn.

This one should be a no brainer. By spending time with people who are in a similar situation as you are as far as raising a child in the same age range, you will be able to share all of the life-saving techniques and strategies for coping with the most challenging time in your children’s development. Not only that, but it is a great way for you and your spouse or partner to make new friends and have built-in play dates set up for the future.

Even though the duties that go along with caring for your little one during the day can certainly take their toll, there is no arguing the fact that the unscheduled middle of the night wakeup calls and 2 am feedings are a whole different level of stress. By taking turns with your significant other in handling the late night/early morning baby chores, you both can guarantee yourself a semi-restful sleep every other night.

Having a baby can be overwhelming, but don’t worry because there are things you can do to make the process a bit more manageable. Keep our tips in mind and hang in there – it gets better!

Written by Avery Bullock