Being a new mom is wonderful, special, exhausting and unlike anything else. You are probably still walking on air from the intense power of the love you feel for your newborn. Whilst at the same time, you are tired to the point of breaking, and feel like emotional wreck.

Here are seven tips for new moms, to make those first few weeks more manageable:

1. Rest when you can – everyone says this, but not all new mothers do it. You should try to rest as often as you can. There is no shame in daytime napping, in fact it’s pretty much mandatory during maternity leave. The most important thing is that you and baby are healthy, so stop worrying about the laundry, and get yourself tucked in. Can’t sleep? At least get horizontal!
2. Eat healthily – for the first few days at least, this means eating as much fibre as you can stomach. Dried apricots, high bran cereal, and plenty of fruit and veggies to help you avoid the postpartum curse of constipation. Constipation can soon lead to hemorrhoids, neither of which are what you want when you’re trying to adjust to motherhood, breastfeeding and sleep deprivation. It’s easy to snack on biscuits throughout the day, and neglect eating full meals as a new mom. If you’re struggling to find the time to cook, try snacking on nuts, fresh fruit and vegetables instead of reaching for unhealthy convenience foods.
3. Quench your thirst – water will help to fight constipation, and will keep you hydrated. If you’re breastfeeding, you may find yourself feeling especially thirsty so be sure to increase your water intake.
4. Ignore the housework – obviously you don’t want to raise your newborn in a pigsty, but that doesn’t mean the house needs to be spotless. It doesn’t matter if you have a few dirty dishes waiting in the sink, a few loads of laundry waiting to be done or a bit of clutter in the living room. What matters is that you’re making the most of this time to bond with your baby. You won’t look back in the future and regret taking time out from real life to cuddle your newborn baby.
5. Ask for help – asking for help doesn’t mean you’re a failure, or lazy or struggling to cope – it means you’re normal. Ask your mother-in-law to bring a precooked meal over, ask your brother to clean the bathroom and see if your best friend would pick up some groceries on her way over. There’s a reason people keep offering to help, it’s because they want to make your life easier – so let them.
6. Give yourself a break – you’ve just created the most wonderful person ever to exist, don’t beat yourself up too much about the house being a mess or about being in your nightgown at 3pm. Don’t waste time feeling guilty or worrying, just enjoy this once in a lifetime period with your teeny tiny newborn.
7. Capture it – take as many videos and photos as you can, you will love looking back on them in years to come. Even the mundane moments will be special to look back on; the cuddles, the giggles and the little smiles. Capture as much of their childhood as you can.

Do you have any words of advice to help new moms settle into their new roles?

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Sure you knew your life would change once you had kids. After all, you probably heard stories from your friends who already had children about how they never slept or how much life changed.

But you might not have realized how much gross stuff comes along with taking care of a baby. The surprising part is, most of the time, the gross stuff does not even faze you anymore. Consider some of the gross things that moms (and dads) deal with on a regular basis.

Farts: Let’s be honest, we all fart. But it’s usually nothing to cheer about. But when your six-month-old lets it rip on your lap, somehow it’s not so gross, and it may even make you giggle. In fact, when you think your baby is gassy, you might even celebrate a fart.

Wiping someone else’s butt: In your pre-baby life, the only butt you wiped was probably your own, and that was no picnic. But times have changed. From routinely smelling your baby’s bottom to dealing with diaper blowouts, poop is a part of life for new parents. It may still be a bit gross at times (especially when you hit the toddler years). But for the most part, you can change a diaper without even flinching.

Cleaning snot out of your baby’s nose: The thought of sucking boogers out of someone’s nose may have made your stomach turn before you became a mom. But now when your baby has a stuffed up nose, you reach for the bulb suction and suck out snot with ease. You might even examine what you pulled out and congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Being sneezed on: Whether you’re on a crowded subway or in line at the movies, being on the receiving end of a sneeze is gross. There is saliva flying everywhere and germs coming your way. But when your baby does it, you simply wipe the droplets off your face and break into your baby talk voice and say “bless you.”

Cleaning spit up: Cleaning spit up or vomit used to be cringe worthy. But once you have a baby, it’s a part of life. With your new mom ninja like reflexes, you might even catch it with your bare hands to prevent it from hitting the floor. The good news is if your baby is not eating solids yet, spit up consisting of breastmilk or formula is not too gross. The bad news is once your baby moves onto solid foods, it’s a different story.

Although your little darling is the light of your life, he does not always mind his manners. But when you become a mom, you do it all, even the gross stuff. Because there is nothing you would not do to keep your baby happy and healthy.

Written by Mary Ann DePietro@writerlady34

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.