Make sure your partner gets regular alone time with the baby from day 1. e.g. skin on skin in the hospital while you shower/sleep.
Don’t get stuck into the routine of doing absolutely everything for the baby every night. If your partner is awake, they can definitely change a nappy or do a bottle.
Let your partner and others ‘do things differently.’ If you correct them all the time, they will be put off looking after the baby!
Try to carve out a regular slot when your partner/another person takes the baby e.g. 7-9am before work while you catch up on sleep/shower post feeding. Or when they get back from work.
If very tired, make sure you take naps when the baby is napping.
Do go to bed early when the baby does!
Ask your partner to take the baby for walks.
If baby is crying non-stop, it’s ok to put them down in a safe place like the cot for a few minutes while you breathe.
Go to your local toddler group where lovely people will be only too happy to hold the baby!
Free buggy walks are a fab way to get air, exercise and (hopefully) a sleeping baby!
Why not walk your baby to a coffee shop. When you arrive, they may even be asleep!
Put the baby in a baby chair in the bathroom while you take a bath/shower!
Do let your mother-in-law/friend etc. take the baby, even early on. You can always relax next door if you don’t want to leave your home.
Try to get some help with household chores if at all possible!
Consider ordering a week’s worth of healthy, freezable meals from the company Cook/ a friend/relation for the first month of parenting.
Try white noise and/or a Sleepyhead + sleeping bag to get your baby to go to sleep.
Use a sling early on to ensure your baby sleeps more and cries less. This enables you to do other things!
Rocking the baby in the pram indoors can yield surprisingly good results!