10/01/2026
Practical survival tips for week 1 home with a newborn
1. Lower the bar. Then lower it again.
• Your only job is to feed the baby and keep both of you alive.
• Dishes, laundry, and texts can wait , seriously.
• Survival > productivity.
2. You will cry and it doesn’t mean something’s wrong.
• Hormones crash around days 3–5 = normal emotional rollercoaster.
• Cry, vent, scream into a pillow, just don’t bottle it up. and don’t let it convince you you’re not cut out for this
3. Set up “stations” before the baby gets home.
• One handed snack drawer.
• Diaper + wipe baskets in every room.
• Water bottles everywhere. (Dehydrated + breastfeeding = miserable.)
4. Night shifts = team sport (even if it’s just moral support).
• Take turns sleeping in blocks (4 hours is gold).
• If solo parenting, prep a snack + bottle/boob setup for overnights.
5. Accept help, but only the kind that actually helps.
• If someone offers to come hold the baby while you nap, say yes.
• If they just want to hang out and chat while you’re bleeding and leaking, hard pass.
6. It’s okay if you don’t feel instantly bonded.
• Attachment takes time.
• Exhaustion, pain, and trauma can delay that warm fuzzy feeling, totally normal.
7. Choose one self-care non-negotiable per day.
• Shower, brush teeth, or eat a hot meal. Just one.
• It makes a huge difference in your mental state.
8. Put your phone down during 2 AM feeds.
• Doomscrolling increases anxiety.
• Try music, a podcast, or just zone out, protect your nervous system.
