When you have your new baby
You bring the new family member home
You feel invigorated, fresh and eager to show off............
No?????????
Perhaps you feel tired, hormonal and washed out.
I know which category I fell into LOL
Make a stand and include into your routine some "Me Time"
I remember with one of my new babies, I had washing everywhere, dishes in the sink and crumbs on the floor, and a baby that wouldn't settle, I don't think I had even brushed my hair that day when the worst thing happened.......the doorbell rang.........it was the midwife checking up on me. i burst into tears and was apologetic for the mess and was sure she was going to report me for having a baby in such a filthy home !!!!!!!!!!
I will always remember she said to me, she would rather go into a home with dishes, washing and crumbs but a baby being taken care of and content then a home where the house was spotless and the baby was screaming for attention.
She told me the housework would always be there the next day, but every minute missed caring for baby was missed for ever !!!! I told her, I was embarrassed at all the mess and when baby went for his nap I would be cleaning up but she instead took over, she did all the baby checks, and checks on me too, she made me a milky drink as I fed the baby and changed his nappy, she took the phone off the hook and finally she put a sign on my door saying
DO NOT DISTURB!!!!
MUM AND NEW BABY SLEEPING
Before she left she made sure that the baby was settled in his crib and made me promise to go to bed. i did and I slept for a couple of hours with no distractions or interruptions. It was the best thing I could have done. I was then able to function again when I woke up
I always remembered this advice and with my following babies I did the same by adapting the babies routine against their siblings pre school and school hours, after dropping the older child (ren) at school I would then settle baby and have a nap myself. If I didn't feel like a nap I still kept at least 30 minutes a day as "Me Time" I would either do a crossword, read a book, or even watch TV, anything that allowed me to shut off from everything and put my feet up
Of course, being able to do this would mean living in an ideal world, sometimes that ideal world doesn;t exist !!!!! 
Some pointers I would recommend:
Don't be afraid to say NO to visitors that turn up unannounced
Don't worry about not answering the door or the phone
If you have visitors you can trust, use them, when they come to visit, ask them to watch baby and go and have a nap or a leisurely bath
Keep a pencil and notebook handy if you are sitting down and write all the things that you want to achieve that day and all the things you HAVE to achieve that day, prioritise what needs to be done and what can be left
If you have other toddlers running around, get some activities you can do with the child that are relaxing such as jigsaw puzzles and books
Don't feel guilty if you need a break and so stick a disney film on so you can switch off for a bit
Accept all offers of help
(January 2008) (
