Hi @Andy451 as a new host who has just listed you could get in touch with Airbnb CS and explain what happened and see if they can help you out with this one.
You can always snooze your listing whilst you get it correctly set up and the creases ironed out before you go live to guests- seasoned guests know how to snap up a bargain, and new hosts have increased visibility and placement in search.
If Airbnb can't help you out with unblocking the dates, then you could list them on another site.
Have you had a look at the "help" discussion room- all the contact details are listed there in a post halfway down the board I believe.
Best wishes
Paul 🙂