Having a newborn baby is an exciting time full of new adventures. Whether this is your first child or you are adding a sibling to your family, a newborn baby is a lot of work. You may be one of those lucky parents who ends up with a child that barely cries and falls off to sleep peacefully after feeding but for a vast majority of parents, it is not quite that easy.

Life with a newborn becomes suddenly wonderful and amazing yet stressful. At some point, operating on little sleep, doing endless loads of laundry and trying to figure out why your baby is crying or how to soothe them to stop them crying, catches up with you.

It is important that you take care of yourself. It is natural that all you are thinking about is your new baby but a break, a time-out, or a nap can help you feel rejuvenated.  Let your friends or family members who would love to hold your baby help. As much as you are nervous that no one is as good as you are at it, don’t forget they raised you or their own kids. You can bring joy to their world and enjoy a break.

Once you have an extra set of hands to help, don’t feel bad saying you are going to lie down for a few minutes. Women understand. And if they don’t, you probably need to seek out some new friends! Don’t feel guilty asking if you can take a walk or go eat without trying to hold a baby in your arms. Just 30 minutes to one-hour can make a world of difference. And even though you may be providing a lot of the caregiving to your baby during this time, don’t discount that your husband or partner may be feeling stressed and overwhelmed just like you.  Anything new adds stress to a marriage and life. Take time out to go be together, just the two of you.

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. These workouts were created for a new Mom. They are short (there is a 10 minute, a 15 minute and a 20 minute option) knowing you may be tired or don’t have much time.  Making exercise a priority to fit into your daily lifestyle will help you feel less stressed and offer the opportunity to spend quality time with your baby. Download each workout and get started with your new fitness routine.

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