When your first baby arrives on the scene, celebrating its key baby milestones becomes a fairly regular occurrence. Some baby milestones are small, from that first smile or first laugh and some are fairly monumental, like when they roll over for the first time, sit up unaided, or even take those tentative very first steps.
There are however, a few New Mom milestones that are a lot more realistic and one’s that as parents, we should definitely be celebrating!
Here are the alternative baby milestones to celebrate with your new arrival.
The day you earn your Parent title
The day that you bring your baby home for the first time is a big deal.
Suddenly you’re trusted to be responsible for a brand-new human being – one that comes with no manual or instructions and a job that requires no training or qualifications. You’ve been promoted to Parent and as of today have a brand-new member of your household who relies entirely upon you to stay warm, safe and fed. This new job title definitely deserves some recognition.
The day you shower and get dressed before midday
In the early newborn haze, with sleep deprivation, post-labour recovery and adjusting to your new life as parents, the days and weeks can pass by in a bit of a blur. The day you get up, showered and dressed before midday is a real achievement and one which you should be super proud of. For some parents, this takes days, for others weeks or months, but go at the pace that works for you – every parent and every newborn experience is different.
The first time you venture out with your baby
The first time you venture out in public with your baby can be a fairly daunting experience, tackling everything from making sure you have all the supplies you need in the diaper bag, to navigating timings between feeds and the location of baby changing facilities. Whether it’s a trip to your first parent and baby session, a coffee with friends or simply a trip out with the stroller to your local park, celebrate the little things and take each day as it comes.
The day you feed in public for the first time
As above, the first time you go out and feed somewhere other than in the comfort of your own home is also a big milestone. If you are breastfeeding, you may initially feel self-conscious or worried about feeding discreetly, but remember that breastfeeding your baby is entirely natural and nothing to be embarrassed about. The more you feed in public the more second nature this will become.
The day your baby self settles to sleep
After what may feel like weeks of rocking, sleepless nights, singing lullabies and not being able to sit down without pacing around the living room for hours with your baby, the day your child goes to bed awake but drowsy and drifts off to sleep unaided is certainly one to shout from the rooftops. Sadly for me, this baby milestone took a LOT longer to reach than I would’ve liked, but as with all things parenting, you will get there in the end!
The day you single-handedly tackle the ‘Poonami’
*Shudder* – The poonami is a parenting challenge that all of us experience at one time or another, normally occurring at the worst possible time and more often than not, when your baby is dressed entirely top to toe in white. Not content with filling their diaper, this type of poop goes absolutely everywhere, including up their back and deep into all those baby creases. Whilst a poonami requires nerves of steel and may require an entire pack of wipes to clean up, coming out the other side unscathed is a huge parenting win. Handy hint – always, always have a change of clothes in the diaper bag, no matter how short your trip is in duration.
What alternative baby milestones would you add to this list?
