If you have never been a parent before you may be a bit shocked when you find yourself in the midst of the post placement of your child in your home.

The saying “a child changes everything is no joke.” It is life changing in a variety of ways. You will be developing a new schedule in your life. Your time spent focusing on baby may leave you feeling tired while adjusting to a change in sleep patterns. You may have unexpected visitors wanting to welcome your baby and feel somewhat obligated or guilty for not wanting visitors. It’s okay! You will be learning, establishing, and modeling healthy boundaries for you and your baby. Take time to allow your baby to adjust as well as your own time to adjust and recharge as needed. If you have a smooth post-placement experience congratulations!

If you are noticing it is more challenging than expected, you aren’t the first, nor last, to go through challenging adjustments to parenting. Reach out and talk about it. You’ll be surprised how much support is available just from talking about it with a friend, family member, your post placement social worker, or with online support groups. Check out Creating a Family for additional resources and blogs from other parents.