10 Tips For New Mums Having a baby is exciting, but it can also be frightening - especially when it is your first child. After all, no matter how much you read, study and listen to your girlfriend's stories, you are never quite prepared for the actual event. And, when it comes down to it, labour and delivery are only the beginning of the battle. Fortunately, there is plenty of advice out there, though this top ten list may be all you genuinely need.

1. Sleep! Truly, this is the most important advice you can possibly have as a new mum. Sadly, you are likely to ignore it. But, sleeping is the best thing you can do as soon as you give birth and for the first several months of your baby's life. Your body is trying to repair itself after growing a new life, and at the same time, you are continuing to tax yourself with breastfeeding and constantly jumping up every time your baby makes a noise. As a general rule, try to sleep at least every other time that your baby does, and fit the rest of your needs when you can.

2. Accept Help. For many new moms, this is one of the most difficult things to do. After all, you are used to doing it all. Your job includes caring for the house, your partner, yourself, often working full time and having a social life to boot. But, for the first couple of weeks, you will have to admit to yourself that you need some assistance with even the basics. If someone offers to cook supper – take them up on it. When someone offers to help care for your child, you will not want to, but you should accept their help. (By the way, you will find this remarkably easier by the time you have your second baby.)

3. Listen to Your Body. There are many new priorities with a new baby in the

house, and guess what – you are one of them. And until you feel hundreds again, you need to make sure that your basic needs are – almost – as important as your baby’s. You need to eat when you are hungry, and shower when you do not feel presentable, but you do not need to do these things until your body tells you.

4. Do Not Pressure Yourself. Just as you need to accept help, you also need

to realise that some things, quite frankly, are not important at the moment. You may be the world’s greatest housekeeper (and you will be again), but making the bed because your mum is coming around is unimportant. Not only does she remember what it is like to have a baby in the house – she also knows your limits, and you are not fooling anyone.

5. Call the Professionals. If you are not certain about your baby’s health, or

yours, then you need to call the appropriate medical professional. Do not spend time browsing the internet or ringing up well-meaning friends. These are great for supporting you when everything is going to plan, but they are not experts. Save yourself the grief and call your health care providers; it is always better to head into the clinic as a precaution, than it is to rush to a trauma centre in the middle of the night.

6. Get Baby Monitors. Do not discount this advice even if your baby’s cot is in the corner of your room. There will come a day (very soon, at that) when you want to disappear downstairs to watch a bit of senseless tele or just have a long, hot shower. You will feel much more secure that everything is alright with a set of monitors, so think of it as a requirement to regaining control over your life.

7. Toddler Proof Your House Soon. Sure, it will be a few months before your

baby needs it, and right now time may be dragging. But, the days, weeks and months are actually flying past and before you know it, your child will be able to pull that drawer of knives onto his head. So, do not wait, tick it off your to do list, as soon as you are well enough.

8. Focus on the Basics. For the first few weeks of your baby’s life, she focuses

on her immediate needs (and so do you, for that matter). You should do the same for yourself. Focus on eating, sleeping, and yes, for the first few days, you will concentrate on your bowel movements too. Wait until you have the basics down again, then add something else into your routine. And, that does not include housework – and entertaining your friends. Getting back to real life is difficult, so do not force it.

9. Have a Camera Handy. Newborns grow remarkably quickly, and babies are

always doing funny things. Think of a camera as an important parenting tool. Not only will you want to share these moments with your partner, your friends and your family, but one day, your child will be utterly fascinated by himself as a baby, and he will pour over each and every moment of it then, just as you are doing now.

10. Relax! No, this does not mean that you should get a massage and take a

nap (though you certainly should). Relax means that you do not need to fret about every little thing. Just stop taking everything so seriously. It is rather difficult, especially when everything over the past several months, and most certainly the past couple of weeks has seemed to be a matter of life and death. But, happy, relaxed mothers make for happy, relaxed babies. And, if getting your baby to calm down and sleep is a priority for you, then take the lead.

Okay, obviously there are a few other tips, like how to change a nappy in less than 30 seconds and when to start letting your baby soothe herself to sleep. But, you will figure those out as you go along. You are, after all, supermom – you just are not awake enough to know it at the moment. If you’d like more parenting advice please head over to the Lindam blog: http://www.lindam.com/