I’m tired. I’ll admit it. Taking care of a newborn around the clock is exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, every lost minute of sleep is well worth it. My growing little boy is the biggest blessing I have ever received. Although our sleep is broken and we’ve gotten accustomed to periodic crying, my husband and I are loving being parents.

Here are some tips to surviving your first week of parenthood.

Horde your sleep.

Everyone’s said and we refused to believe. Newborns steal your sleep. They require constant attention and sleep will come as a minimum. During my little man’s first week, my husband and I lost a lot of Z’s. But we combated it with rotating naps. Although I’ve been almost exclusively breast-feeding, my husband was able to give me a break by giving a bottle with pumped milk, changing diapers and getting the baby back to sleep while I rested.

You’ve also heard the classic phrase, sleep when the baby sleeps. DO IT. It’s so easy to get caught up putting your house back together or staring at your precious angel. But seriously, nap whenever the little one is. Eventually, your house will get back together and you’ll be able to accomplish more than showering and eating.

Ask for help.

We  are lucky enough to have plenty of family and friends available to give us breaks. During our first week, we had meals for everyday and even had visitors to help change diapers. Just a note, if you are feeling overwhelmed with visitors, have you husband make a visiting schedule. That way you won’t feel like you have to entertain company while also trying to function without sleep.

Download the baby shusher.

My sister told me about this miracle app that helps keep the baby calm and rested. The shushing sound reminds the baby of sounds from inside the womb. Every time my little guy gets fussy or is trying to get to sleep, I turn my app on and it helps keep him calm and relaxed. Do prepare yourself for the fits that even the shusher app can’t combat.

Create Multiple Changing Stations.

Although we decorated and set-up the nursery, my little guy is too small to take full advantage of his awesome room. However, we do use his changing table and dresser throughout the day. At night though, we have a separate storage in our room with diapers, blankets, a wiper warmer and clothes. You’d be surprised how many onsies this boy had peed through.

Eventually, you will get on a schedule and things will calm down. For now, just enjoy your little blessing.