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Home › Articles › Family Life › Where Is Cloud Nine?

Where Is Cloud Nine?

Realizing the Myth of the Perfect Parent

By Alexandria Powell

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For mothers, there are the massive physical changes that follow childbirth. For both parents, there are the physical demands (sleep deprivation, anyone?) of having a newborn in the house.

Perhaps most difficult are the emotional adjustments. "The first few months are really a 'getting to know you' period," says Beth Frydlewicz, director of William Beaumont Hospital's Parenting Program in Royal Oak, Mich. "Parents are trying to figure out, 'Who is this baby?', 'Who are we as parents?', 'How do we all fit together?'" You're struggling to learn how to understand your baby's cues, balance work and family and adjust to your new identity as a parent.

Realize It's More Complicated Than Ever Before
When Tom Nardone and his wife had a newborn, they often brought their son into their bed. "He slept in a bassinet for part of the night, but then he would get hungry and need to breastfeed," says Nardone, a Michigan father of one.

After feeding and snuggling, the new family didn't want to be separated. "He slept like a champ while my wife and I slept cautiously," says Nardone. "We moved him to a crib atabout 5 months, and he sleeps well in his own room now. We look back on our family time fondly and I would guess our son [now 11 months old] does too."


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