Time Management Tips For New Mothers

Caring for a newborn at any age can be a stressful situation and particularly so if you're an older mom. You may have forgotten how often you'll be up and down at night for feedings and diaper changes, or you may have waited to have kids and had no idea how hard it would be to stand up, unassisted, while holding onto an infant. Moreover, there's a new demographic, called the sandwich generation, who must care for their own children as well as their elderly parents, which suddenly takes the grandparents out of the equation when it comes to helping out with child care and babysitting. This presents a myriad of problems to the older parent of a newborn who may need some coping strategies, along with some nutritional supplements, to make her parenting responsibilities less burdensome so that she can enjoy those precious first 12 months of baby's life.

If you've traded your work wardrobe for sweats and spit-up rags, you will soon discover that time management is just as important, when dealing with a newborn, as it is with bosses and deadlines. Use any available downtime you have throughout the day to "git 'er done." If the baby was up all night with colic and decides to sleep in, you should too. You'll be able to function better and address your baby's needs if you're well-rested. All new parents soon discover that the expression "sleeping like a baby" was invented by someone who never had kids; however, if you're lucky enough to have one that sticks to a fairly regular schedule, use this to your advantage. Do the laundry, change the cat litter and strip the bedding when you have this rare opportunity. If your kid falls asleep in his car seat, bring it into the house with you and let him sleep in it. The jury is still out about letting your baby cry himself to sleep, otherwise known as the Ferber method; as a new mom, you will start to recognize when your baby is fussy, cries briefly then goes back to sleep, or is screaming for food and/or a diaper change. Let your significant other know when you've had a hard day and anticipate needing some help at night. Or you may decide just to hand him the baby as soon as he walks in the door. Once the baby gets on your schedule, you may not know what to do with all your new free time.

 Babies need stimulation, whether a homemade rattle made from a dried gourd or an electronic set of play car keys to a simple game of peek-a-boo, and you will likely find that you become your baby's favorite plaything. Try to mix up chores with playtime so both of you get what you need. The bottom compartment in your stroller can easily carry a bag of groceries so make a field trip to the store one of the highlights of your day.  If you want a real challenge, take a hike around a nature preserve or park; just make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen, an extra bottle and a hat. Join a mother's club in your community to meet up with other moms with similar-aged kids. Here you can compare parenting styles, figure out who's getting a full night's sleep and who's not and vent about challenges and situations your partner might not otherwise understand. Also, look into joining a mommy and me exercise program or baby gym, where you and your child can get a workout without having to leave the ground.

As an older new mom, you need to protect the cartilage around your joints, which break down and lose their cushioning properties as we age. Glucosamine, made from, not surprisingly, glucose and glutamine, an amino acid, is used to repair damaged cartilage naturally and is often combined with chondroitin, another molecule-level cartilage supplement. Consider adding a supplement with glucosamine and chondroitin in your new mom's dietary supplement arsenal when it comes to staying healthy and keeping your joints from snap, crackle and popping when you get up and down on the floor with a crawling newborn. Nature Way has their FlexMax Glucosamine Chondroitin Tablets derived from the chitin, or shell material, found in lobster, shrimp and crabs. If you're allergic to shellfish, consider another option, which also contains vitamins B-6 and C, available from NOW's Glucosamine & Chondroitin Tablets made from bovine cartilage.

To keep your energy levels high to keep up with your newborn and his activity spurts, consider vitamin B12, long known for its energizing properties. For an easy to take dietary supplement, try NOW's B12 Instant Energy Packets in a refreshing, vegetarian-friendly citrus flavor or Enzymatic Therapy's Fatigued to Fantastic Energy Revitalization System in berry splash or citrus flavors with the addition of energy-enhancing taurine. Two more options to increase your energy and stamina include Amazing Grass' Green Super Food Lemon-Lime Energy Powder made from spirulina, wheat grass and yerba mate or NewChapter's Perfect Energy Tablets with vitamins A, C, D, E and K, along with ginseng root and bioflavonoids, known for their antioxidant properties.