From Big Business to Baby Business

Remember those rough days at work when you could pick up the phone and arrange a nice lunch date or plan a movie night with your spouse to cheer yourself up? Motherhood doesn't have to be all that different! Whatever your favorite indulgence was before Baby—manicures, movies, gardening, shopping, eating out—you should incorporate it into your new life on occasion, sooner rather than later. How? By accepting help offered from friends or family.

As a mom, it's easy to feel like you should be the caregiver all the time, especially if your husband is the sole breadwinner. But the fact is that the baby's dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even your friends and neighbors can all get joy from some time alone with Baby. Why not be generous and allow them that time? If someone you trust offers to babysit, take her up on it. It will only serve to deepen your appreciation of your baby to take a short break.