When youre a new mother, life can seem overwhelming. Your life is full of new responsibilities, yet the old ones havent gone away. This is a period of adjustment, so recognize it as such. Here are some ideas to help you cope with this transition period, and create the life you envision.

First, set your priorities. There will be many days when you just cant get everything done, so know in advance which things carry the most importance. Care of your baby is, of course, the first priority, and in order to do that, you may have to let some things slide. But, each of us is different, and so is our tolerance of leaving things undone. For instance, I have three children, and I hate it when we resort to feeding them fast food. So, cooking a good dinner has always been a priority for me. In order to do this, some days the house is a wreck, but feeding my family a healthy dinner is more important to me than seeing that all the toys are put away. You need to decide what works for you personally.

Secondly, ask for help when you need it. Very often, people are very willing to help, but theyre not sure what to do. Tell your husband what chores he could take over for you that would have the most impact. Do you have older children that are old enough to take over more household responsibility? Mothers are notorious for doing things for their children that the kids are perfectly capable of handling. Not only will assigning chores to your children help you out, it will also teach them some valuable lessons in responsibility.

Next, be sure to network with other women in your situation. If youre staying home, find other stay at home moms to socialize with and swap babysitting. If youre a working mom, get to know other working moms and spend some time with them. Talking to other women who have the same issues can keep you sane!

Finally, take time for yourself. All you will accomplish by working yourself nonstop is fatigue. Be sure to get away from your duties as a Mom to do some of the things you enjoyed before you had children. Go on dates with your husband, and hang out with your girlfriends. Continue to pursue your hobbies, or get some new ones. Being a Mom does change your life, but it doesnt have to take over your life.