New Mom Stress during the Holidays

Being a new mom or managing more than one child is already a very tiring thing, but doing it during the holidays can make things a little more stressful. The key to battling stress during the holidays, while learning to be a new mom, is prioritizing what is more important to you and your family during the holiday season. Here are a few tips on how to minimize your anxiety, while maximizing your memories during this year’s holiday season.

• Learn to say “no” – The days of baking 12 dozen cookies for all the neighbors and people at work on long gone. You can’t dedicate as much time as you usually do at the soup kitchen and you aren’t going to 10 different houses to satisfy all the holiday party invitations. Focus on what’s really important. Try gift cards, store bough cookies arranged nicely and only volunteering once or twice during the holiday season. Also, you are the one with the new baby, let everyone come to you or arrange a FaceTime “party” with those friends you are closest with.
• Gifts and shopping – Cyber shopping can be done from anywhere at any time, including during nap time. The best gifts this year can be all about your new baby. Use the latest photos as greeting cards, calendars and prints for family and friends. You can also propose a secret Santa or white elephant game so everyone is only in charge of one gift.
• Hosting the party – Make it as easy as possible and involve others in the planning. Hire someone to deep clean the house. This leaves you free to do some tasteful and simple decorating. Ask everyone coming to bring a dish and have the hubby man the meat. Hosting at your house will be less stressful on your new baby, which means you may be able to relax a little more.
• Be strategic – Make as much as you can ahead of time. Try shopping with an infant carrier when baby has a full belly and is down for a nap. Limit your travel time to one hour so it doesn’t interfere with feeding and sleeping schedule.

Your first holiday season with your new baby can be just as memorable as years to come. Just because you have always done something during the holidays doesn’t mean you have to do that this year. This could be a great time for new traditions for your new family.