Stress & Overwhelm

There’s a learning curve to becoming a parent. You might be feeling overwhelmed by all your new responsibilities and all the parenting information to learn.

Psychologists say a bit of stress is manageable and even good for you. But high levels of stress can cause burnout and impact your health.

These tips may help you handle your new responsibilities.

Delegate, If Possible

You can’t do it all. Ask a friend or family member to do some of the duties you were planning to do.

Prioritize

Caring for your baby and yourself are most important right now. There may be some other to-dos that you let go until after the newborn stage.

Choose a Few Trusted Sources

Find parenting resources you can trust when you want to look up information. Go to those when you have questions, instead of searching the entire internet for answers. For example, HealthyChildren.org contains reliable child health information from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Do Your Best to Stay Positive

Find ways to enjoy new motherhood: Cuddle with your baby. Make silly faces at them. It can be tough, but there are happy moments as well.

Remind yourself that you may not know everything about parenting. No one does. You are still learning and can do this.

Vent

Just talking about your overwhelm can make your load feel a little bit lighter. Reach out to a friend, family member or 7 Cups listener when you’re feeling stressed.