From Big Business to Baby Business

If you take some steps to pay attention to your needs, as well as your child's, motherhood will bring more joy and fulfillment than any job you've ever had! Here are six!

by Deidre Groehnert

Stay Organized and Energized

Just as at the office, being organized and keeping your energy up will help you cope with your new role as a stay-home mom.

  • Always have a stocked diaper bag. It is freeing to be able to leave the house in a flash, or to turn a quick errand into a long visit with friends or family. Carry enough gear to cover two or three feedings and four diaper changes. Toting essentials like rash cream, pacifiers, favorite toys, and teethers will allow you more spontaneity. Re-pack the diaper bag right away after you return from each trip, so you are ready for your next adventure.

  • Lying around in PJs and ignoring the state of the house can be a slippery slope towards the mommy blues! Each morning after Baby is changed, fed, and happy, take the opportunity to do a bit of housework and grab a quick shower. When you are showered and your house is in acceptable shape early in the day, you are more apt to welcome last minute visitors or plans. Also, you will be home a lot during the day, so you are helping your own frame of mind by keeping the house organized.

  • Get as much sleep as you can in the first couple of months. New moms are often told repeatedly by experienced parents to "sleep when the baby sleeps," yet never really heed these sage words of advice—and become tired and cranky because of it! In those first few months, or until baby can sleep for stretches of five or six hours, catnaps during the day can be beneficial for moms both physically and mentally. Don't look at sleeping as a selfish act: tired parents are often less energetic, more impatient, and quicker to become frustrated or angry. Getting adequate sleep will help you be a better mom!

  • Find time during the day to exercise. Walk your baby around the neighborhood or mall, attend a Mom & Baby exercise class, or join a gym with a nursery. Exercise is proven to reduce stress, elevate mood, promote better sleep (what parents don't need that?!), and can help you regain your pre-pregnancy shape. It may also provide a nice little break from a long day of baby duties.

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