When Do Babies Get Easier – Around 3 to 4 Months?

New motherhood is hard, even if you have the “easiest” baby in the world. In this manual, you’re undergoing extensive healing while also learning how to parent.

There are not many issues on which ALL parents can agree. All parents, however, will agree that the newborn stage is particularly difficult. When you introduce a new baby into your life, a lot of significant changes occur, including adjustments to your hormone levels, feeding and sleeping patterns, and schedules. The newborn stage may feel overwhelming even if your pregnancy is healthy and you recover quickly.

When Does Having a Baby Get Easier?

Around 3 to 4 months old, babies start to sleep longer, interact more (smiles, giggles), and you start to feel more confident in your parenting skills. As a result, having a baby usually becomes easier.

However, take note that a variety of factors can impact when life with a newborn becomes easier.

First of all, infants differ from adults. Naturally, more babies will be simpler to care for than others.

Some infants may be colicky, have unidentified allergies, or simply be irritable. All of these contribute to a more challenging infant.

Second, as parents, we experience stress from a variety of sources.

Do Babies Get Easier at 6 Weeks?

You may have heard that by six weeks, babies become easier.

So you’ve started counting down to the sixth week just like you would for Christmas.

First of all, never forget that each baby is unique. Even if you have twins, try to avoid comparing your child to another.

Even though your newborn will have a routine by 6 weeks, you might still notice that your 6-week-old baby is cluster-feeding constantly, waking up throughout the night, going through a growth spurt, or is simply being particularly fussy.

By six weeks, all of these make it difficult to care for the majority of babies.

Another important thing to keep in mind is how frequently newborns change.

They could act one way today and act entirely differently tomorrow.

This caught me off guard because I wasn’t aware of it beforehand.

In general, however, there are weeks when your newborn will appear to feed continuously (a phenomenon known as cluster feeding) and weeks when they will grow quickly (growth spurts).

Babies can be particularly demanding, clingy, challenging, and exhausting during these weeks.

Around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks is when babies begin to cluster feed.

Additionally, newborns experience growth spurts at intervals of 7 to 10 days, 2 to 4 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 to 4 months, 6 to 6 months, and 9 to 9 months.

Knowing in advance when growth spurts and cluster feedings take place can help you be more prepared for some of the additional fussiness your baby may be displaying.

Do Babies Get Easier at 8 Weeks?

At eight weeks, many babies are much simpler. They have accomplished some significant developmental milestones, which is primarily to blame.

Your baby’s feeding routine, whether it be bottle feeding or breastfeeding, will be established by 8 weeks.

And that heart-melting first smile will have been yours. At this age, babies start to be entertaining.

Your baby will start sleeping through the night more frequently now that he is old enough to distinguish between night and day.

As you speak to him, he will coo and gurgle and is also more alert and responsive.

Due to this, your 8-week-old baby is much simpler to handle.

Do Babies Get Easier at 12 Weeks?

At 12 weeks, I’d say it does get simpler.

In fact, my close friend revealed this to me when I gave birth to my first son three years ago.

She said, “don’t worry, it gets easier at 12 weeks!” This is also true for my two children, I’ve discovered.

A newborn who is 12 weeks old sleeps through the night for longer periods of time because they are less bothered by every poop and pee.

They are more easily amused (start grabbing a rattle or toy) and much more aware of their surroundings.

You’ll get better-quality sleep because your baby is sleeping for longer stretches at night.

At 12 weeks, just this alone makes babies simpler.

Why Are Newborns So Hard?

It’s impossible for people to resist wanting to love and cuddle a newborn baby because they are so adorable. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t among the most challenging things to deal with.

But why are parents finding this time of year so challenging?

Here are a few causes of why you might feel exhausted in the first few weeks after having your child.

Babies Have a Weird Sleep Schedule

Babies don’t sleep a lot, so don’t believe anyone who says otherwise. Babies sleep 18 to 20 hours each day.

What gives, then, that parents are SO worn out?

Newborn babies have a different sleep schedule than adults. The average newborn only sleeps for two to three hours at a time.

They must continuously eat. Regardless of the time of day, babies must eat because they are hungry.

The issue cannot be resolved by napping when your baby sleeps, even if you don’t have any other children living with you. Adults have different sleep needs; we require a lot of nighttime sleep.

Regardless of how many naps you take each day, getting up several times during the night is exhausting.

Healing from Childbirth is Hard!

No matter how you give birth, childbirth recovery is hard.

Vaginal births are exhausting, and you might have significant tearing and sutures that make sitting down uncomfortable.

C-sections are actual, serious operations that can take up to 8 weeks to completely recover from. Your c-section recovery might take even longer if you have complications.

It’s normal to feel exhausted after such an ordeal because our bodies expend a lot of energy healing. Unfortunately, that doesn’t go well with a newborn baby’s constant feeding requirements.

Feeding Problems Are Common

I can still picture myself sobbing while nursing my newborn.

I felt as though my baby’s only desire was to eat because my nipples hurt. He then developed gas, and I was certain that something I ate was to blame.

Feeding issues are frequent in the first few weeks of life, whether you use formula or breastfeed. If your nipples are cracking, you may need to try different brands of infant formula, deal with constipation, or research why.

You Feel Overwhelmed

A new baby is overwhelming, regardless of whether you are a first-time parent or have five children. Adjustments are difficult for everyone because so much is happening at once.

You experience emotional exhaustion and overwhelm. At times, I thought I might always feel this way and that nothing would ever return to normal.

You Might Go Back to Work

Even if you are fortunate enough to work for a company that offers paid maternity leave, it’s likely that you will need to return to work six to eight weeks after giving birth.

You are finally becoming more at ease in your new role as a parent and learning how to feed your infant. However, you soon find yourself back at work.

That sparks a whole host of feelings and changes.

Tips to Help You Get through the First 3 Months With Your Newborn

Are you concerned about how you’ll get through the first 12 weeks of having a baby (or, more specifically, how to survive this stage)?

Here are 8 helpful, doable, and easy ways to make life with your newborn much simpler!

#1. Know Yourself

Self-awareness plays a huge part in a new mother’s life, and if I knew then what I know now, I would have realized that.

Everyone is unique, so it is crucial to know yourself and to be honest with yourself.

Undoubtedly, the newborn stage is challenging for all new parents, but especially for the new mother. And there are general stressors that every new mum faces – sleep deprivation, tiredness, exhaustion, feeding problems etc

However, there are particular stressors that each mother experiences, and these stressors can vary greatly.

While Mum B may not care if her home is messy, Mum A may be okay with it.

This, in my opinion, is one of the most crucial aspects of surviving the first few weeks with your new baby.

If you forget every other thing I’ve written today, don’t forget this part –

Being a new parent and dealing with family dynamics may cause you stress.

Discover your calming and empowering resources.

Understand the things that bring you joy.

Look for activities that fill you up!

Making dinner and even thinking about it was a constant source of stress for me. While I discovered that taking a shower gave me energy.

You’ll base the following points in large part on this foundation.

#2. Eat Well

It is exhausting to have a newborn!

You worry, feed, change diapers, and watch over your baby while she sleeps all the time. In addition, being sleep deprived makes all of these worse.

It can definitely be overwhelming!

The body is refueled with energy and strength through eating, and especially through eating well. And to complete the tasks of each day, you need a lot of energy.

Making food will be a challenge, though. There are a few options for new parents.

• You could cook double or triple the amount of food and freeze it in advance.
• Make a subscription payment for food.
• Order take-outs,
• Let family and friends prepare meals for you.

Like I said earlier, do what works best for you!

My dislike of cooking is one example. Cooking was therefore a HUGE source of stress for me during those first few weeks.

Since I didn’t have any friends nearby who could assist, if I could go back in time, I would have used a food subscription service.

Discover from my error.

#3. Sleep

The popular advice to “Sleep when your baby sleeps” is well-intentioned but perhaps not practicable for you.

My personal experience was that it was quite challenging to complete, especially with little to no assistance.

One is that all of your household chores—cooking, cleaning, and perhaps even running errands—need to be done at roughly the same time.

Therefore, how does a sleep-deprived new mother get some rest?

An hour more of sleep per day can make a big difference.

Will your partner be able to feed the baby in the morning and at night while you rest?

Can you arrange for someone to watch over and hold your infant while you sleep?

Alternately, is it possible to assign someone else to complete the necessary tasks? Your partner, a close friend, a relative, or a cleaning service?

These are some ways I wished I had prepared for sleep with my newborn baby:

• get a postpartum doula or a night nurse. Now that I know better, I should have tried to save money or not be so cheap and hired a postpartum doula to assist me in taking care of my newborn child during those first few weeks.
• When help is offered, accept it. Have a list of the tasks you need assistance with on hand, but that’s not as important. You know where to direct anyone who offers to assist, so that’s good.
• Take a nap a day. Even if you can’t always fall asleep when your child does (perhaps you also have a toddler). To feel more refreshed, try to take a nap at least once per day.
• Cook simple meals ahead so While caring for my infant and toddler, I wouldn’t have to worry about cooking. or used a subscription service for food.

#4. Chores

Unfortunately, the chores won’t disappear after having a baby.

After having a baby, you will find that carrying out chores is very taxing. What can you do, then, to ease the burden of life?

Get your partner to assist, as I previously advised. Having older children? Get them involved as well.

Accept the assistance of your family and friends.

Prioritize the tasks that are most crucial and urgent to complete. Do those first.

I find that choosing three things that fit into the important and urgent categories is a good system. For that specific day, and so forth, I would concentrate on those three things.

Having a newborn baby and taking care of yourself at the same time will help you avoid becoming overwhelmed.

Additionally, a home management system will completely change the game!

So, you’ll have a cleaning routine, shopping routine, to-do lists, etc. This makes those intimidatingly large tasks into manageable, bite-sized tasks that anyone can complete.

#5. Feeding Baby

The time and effort required to feed a newborn baby is frequently underestimated by expectant mothers. whether it be through breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

In the first 12 weeks, feeding your newborn will occupy the majority of your time as a new mother.

This is due to the fact that babies’ stomachs are incredibly small and quickly fill and empty.

The difficulty for nursing mothers is that you and your baby are both still learning the technique.

And for many mums, breastfeeding especially in the first weeks comes with lots of challenges – bruised & sore nipples, a bad latch, milk supply issues, tongue-tie etc

Mums who are formula feeding also face their own set of difficulties, including overfeeding, on-the-go feeding, preparing nighttime feeds, using the right measurements, and getting their baby to agree to the brand of formula they have chosen.

Many new mothers may be wondering when having children will get simpler because of this.

The good news is by the 12th-week mark, most nursing mums would have established their milk supply and overcome the initial issues.

The same holds true for mothers who use formula.

Taking a great breastfeeding class before your baby is born can really make things easier for you.

In this nursing class that I recommend, you’ll learn about how to get breastfeeding off to a great start.

Also, Stacey, the IBCLC that teaches this course talks about what challenges to expect from breastfeeding and how to overcome them.

#6. Take a Newborn Class

I’ll be honest: I wish my husband and I had done this.

Since most first-time mothers have no idea what to anticipate, caring for a newborn baby can be extremely stressful.

You’re unsure of what behavior is typical and what is not.

The constant monitoring of your baby’s breathing prevents you from getting any sleep at night. I am aware because I was there.

For a new mother who is unaware that this is typical, the fact that babies change so frequently can be confusing.

When my son’s behavior changed, I was that worried mother who worried that something was wrong with him. In reality, he was just being a baby!

For many first-time mothers, a lack of confidence is caused by their ignorance of the typical newborn behaviors.

As a result, the first few weeks were extremely stressful.

Taking a newborn course is a good way to combat this.

I love that they have three different versions of their class so you can get the birth education that’s right for you – plus they all cover newborn baby care!

But I understand if you aren’t ready to commit to a full-fledged paid class just yet.

You can start making your birth preparations right away thanks to all the helpful advice and information it contains!

I strongly advise you to have one before the baby is born or even right away after during the dream three o’clock feed.

#7. Self Care

Every mum should be required to practice self-care. More so, a new mum.

As I mentioned in point one, self care is a great way to refuel.

Women tend to give more than men do, and because we don’t intentionally take the time to refuel, we burn out easily. (Here, too, I’m speaking to myself.

Men are different from women in that they make the time to do the things that give them energy and refuel them. Think about it.

They socialize with their friends, participate in and watch their favorite sports, and so forth.

Because you believe self-care to be expensive, you may believe it is not for you.

But it’s not necessary to be.

Even though it isn’t always simple to accomplish, it is possible with proper planning.

Some mothers find that proposing a push present of time off is a good way to plan their self-care.

Therefore, you request a 15-minute, 30-minute, or 1-hour time out whenever you feel like you need a break.

Your husband can take care of the baby at this time.

What can you do to care for yourself? Here are a few ideas for low-cost self-care.

1. You’d be surprised at how liberating it can be to be able to take a shower without constantly worrying if your child will wake up.
2. Take a walk
3. Listen to an audiobook, podcast
4. Sleep
5. Talk to close friends
6. Watch a movie
7. Go shopping
8. Eat a good meal at your favourite restaurant
9. Have a spa day
10. Play your preferred music!

#8. Talk to Friends

It takes a lot of work to take care of a newborn baby, so you may occasionally want to talk to someone who will listen about your experiences, concerns, and stories.

Find a support group you can communicate with. Ideally, mothers who understand you, like you.

When I struggled with breastfeeding, Even though I tried to talk to some of my friends, they didn’t understand because they weren’t mothers themselves.

I’ve signed up for a number of Facebook mom groups now that I know better in order to find a secure place to vent about being a mom.

You can find a ton of private mom groups on Facebook by doing a simple search for them. Many local to you.

As always, share cautiously online without disclosing personal security information.

Conclusion

When is having a baby fun? You’ll catch a glimpse of that very first smile, which will make all your hard work even more rewarding. Carrying her and accomplishing tasks will be much simpler once she can support her own head.

She’ll also learn to go to sleep on her own, giving you a full night’s sleep once more (and maybe even a few hours to yourself). You’ll get into a routine and life will feel more normal.

She won’t always be a newborn; eventually, she’ll move on to the infant stage, then develop into a toddler, and before you know it, she’ll be one of the older children.

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