If You’re a New Parent, Read This on a Sleepless Night!

The early days of parenthood are such a blur — a strange mix of magic and madness.

Your arms are full, your eyes are heavy, and your heart… your heart is suddenly too big for your chest.

Everyone around you seems to have advice.... Google, aunties, strangers in supermarkets.

But some truths don’t come in manuals or baby apps.

They come slowly, whispered through exhaustion and love.

Here are fifteen of those truths....the kind I wish someone had gently told me in those first foggy months.

1. Fed is best — and so are you.

Whether it’s breast milk, formula, or both — your baby doesn’t care how the love comes, as long as it does.

There’s no prize for cracked nipples or sleepless nights spent obsessing over ounces. What matters is that your baby is fed, growing, and that you, too, are surviving. Feed them in the way that keeps you both steady. Both physically and emotionally.

2. Postpartum depression doesn’t always look like sadness.

Sometimes it looks like snapping at your partner for no reason.

Sometimes it’s zoning out, feeling nothing while everyone says you should feel “blessed.”

Sometimes it’s fear.

And sometimes it’s rage.

It can happen to anyone, even men.

Please talk to someone. You’re not weak. You’re human, and this is treatable. Getting help is one of the strongest things you can do for your family.

3. Safe sleep always wins.

Those tiny sleeping faces are irresistible, but safety matters more than comfort accessories.

A flat, firm surface. No pillows, no stuffed animals, no cute blanket sets from Instagram.

Just simplicity. Every nap, every night. Because peace of mind is worth more than an aesthetic crib.

4. When they cry, go back to basics.

Swaddle. Shush. Sway. Side. Suck.

They don’t need gadgets that promise “instant calm.” They need rhythm — the same heartbeat they heard in your womb.

You’ll learn that your arms, your smell, your warmth are still their whole world.

5. Once they regain birth weight, let everyone sleep.

Yes, even you.

You’re not a night-watch soldier; you’re a mother trying to heal.

Rest is not a luxury! it’s medicine. And when you rest, your baby gets a better version of you.

6. No water yet.

Their little bodies are miracles of design. They get every drop of hydration they need from breast milk or formula. Nothing extra. Trust nature’s recipe.

7. No honey before one.

Even in baked goods. Even “just a lick.” Honey can carry dangerous spores for babies under one.

It’s one of those small, powerful acts of love — saying no for their safety.

8. There’s no real schedule in the first month.

Feed when they’re hungry. Sleep when they’re tired.

Forget the clock! Your baby hasn’t read those parenting books.

You’re not “spoiling” them by responding quickly; you’re teaching them the world is safe.

9. Stop comparing.

Your friend’s baby might roll over earlier, or sleep longer, or babble faster and none of it means a thing about you or your child.

Each baby blooms at their own pace.

And so do mothers.

10. Newborns are noisy.

Grunts, squeaks, hiccups. you’ll hear it all at 3 a.m. and wonder if something’s wrong.

Most of it isn’t. It’s just their tiny bodies figuring out life outside your belly.

Normal can sound surprisingly loud.

11. Your recovery matters.

You didn’t just have a baby. You gave birth to a new version of yourself.

Rest, eat, cry, shower (or don’t), stretch when you can.

Healing your body and mind is part of caring for your baby.

You deserve care, too.

12. Gas drops and “magic” formulas don’t fix everything.

The crying at 6 weeks can feel endless.

It’s not because you’re doing something wrong. it’s their nervous system learning how to adjust to the world.

You’ll think you’re breaking, but you’re not. You’re growing together through those long nights.

It gets better — truly.

13. Spit-up isn’t reflux.

If they’re happy, gaining weight, and not in pain, it’s just… laundry.

You’ll soon learn to smell like milk and wear it proudly!

14. Baby wearing is magic.

Wrap them close, feel their breathing slow to your rhythm.

When nothing else works, step outside. Let the breeze and birds do what science sometimes can’t.

And if even that doesn’t help......a warm bath can reset the world for both of you.

15. You’re doing better than you think.

You don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to show up, tired, messy, and real.

Your baby doesn’t need a flawless mother; they need you, the one who’s trying.

And that is already enough.

Dear new parent,

You will get through this. The crying spells, the endless nights, the doubts.

You’ll blink one day and realize your arms feel strangely empty because your baby suddenly wants to crawl away.

And you’ll miss even the hard parts.

Until then, breathe. You’re learning a new kind of love, one that’s louder, messier, and more beautiful than anything you’ve known. 💛

-Nidhiya's Amma._