Time Outs
Babies ask a lot from you, and sometimes your life can feel as though it's totally out of control. It's really important that you don't get too stressed out. For this reason you need to try and make a little time for yourself. This might be difficult, but even if it's a half hour soak in the bath, reading a magazine or watching TV when your baby is asleep these will all help you relax. This is as important as any other daily job you do so make sure you get a few minutes to yourself.
Your family or friends can offer you vital support when your baby is young. If this kind of help is on offer don't be afraid to take it, and make sure you feel you can talk to your anyone helping with your childcare about what your baby does and doesn't like, as well as what you think it acceptable, e.g bedtimes, using a dummy etc. This isn't you being pushy, you are the baby's parent and know him or her better than anyone else, that's all.
Seeing other people can take the pressure off you for a while. If you don't have many relatives or friends in your area, ask your health visitor about local parent and toddler groups where you can meet other parents and have a chat about things. You really need to make the most of any help you can find - you can't do everything and you shouldn't feel bad about that..
